Why Is Puerto Rico Burning Oil to Generate Electricity?
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Why Is Puerto Rico Burning Oil to Generate Electricity?
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Daniel Gross at Slate takes a look at the current disastrous state of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, and how it still uses oil to generate more than 60% of the electricity consumed in the US territory. Of note, is that Puerto Ricans consume less energy than Americans on the mainland.
From the post:
“But to gain critical mass, Puerto Rico needs all these and dozens of other plans to get approved, financed, built, and connected quickly. And that requires the active cooperation of PREPA, the dysfunctional, struggling power authority. In an article in Caribbean Business earlier this week, Julian Herencia, executive director of the Puerto Rico Renewable Energy Producers Association, accused PREPA of reopening solar agreements that were struck under the prior administration, holding up projects, and generally dragging its feet.
Puerto Rico is stuck on oil in large part because it lacks the funds and capacity to build new distribution and finance the rapid rollout of renewables. And it lacks the funds and capacity in part because it is stuck paying such a high price for electricity due to its dependence on oil. Catch veinte-dos.”
Catch veinte-y-dos indeed.
