Puerto Rico Governor Jenniffer González-Colón (NPP, R) has recently backed a polarizing bill, leading to a contentious hearing on the future of renewable energy on the islands. The proposed action would extend the operation of Puerto Rico’s coal-fired plant, which has been at the root of much criticism in recent months. The plan would aim to maintain the long-term goal of renewable energy, meeting 100% of Puerto Rico’s needs by 2050. Still, it would eliminate short and medium-term goals for 2025 and 2040, allowing incremental change to the territory’s energy system. In explaining her decision, González-Colón said, “Once we have electricity, we can talk about resuming meeting the objectives.”
Yet many climate activists and environmentalists in Puerto Rico are concerned, as doctors and health professionals testified about the increase in disease on the islands since the plant began operating in 2001. In the South of Puerto Rico, the emergence of the coal-fired power plant has been linked to extreme pollution and an uptick in disease. For many Puerto Ricans in the industrial town of Guayama, where the plant is located, concerns have begun to mount as the prospect of a transition to renewable energy seems less and less likely. In response to the proposal, Nadya Rivera of Puerto Rico Clinicians for Climate Action says, “We are alarmed that this project is being considered.”
Governmental officials in Puerto Rico believe that the plant’s planned removal in 2027 would have extreme immediate repercussions in the territory. Namely, removing a plant generating nearly one-fifth of Puerto Rico’s energy would likely create a power generation deficit that the territory cannot afford. For this reason, Puerto Rico attorney Pedro Saade has suggested that the current plans for a transition to renewable energy may be delayed in the near future.
Although frustration has mounted over the recent bill, a deal between Puerto Rico energy company Genera PR and Tesla valued at over $750 million has given many residents a reason for optimism. The purchase of 430 Megawatts (MW) will aid in improving an ailing Puerto Rican electrical grid. González-Colón states, “When completed, this new energy platform will dramatically reduce the frequency and duration of service interruptions that currently affect us when any of the generating units fail.”
While newer technologies and projects with the hope of improving Puerto Rico’s electrical grid remain on the horizon, maintaining the status quo of nonrenewable energy remains a point of contention for many residents. In a territory where already common power outages are only increasing in duration, the government of Puerto Rico faces an energy crossroads, with elected officials scrambling to find a solution to the complex energy issue that has plagued the islands for decades.
