Puerto Ricans continue to face some of the highest electricity rates in the United States, alongside some of the poorest reliability metrics, without any relief in sight.
The Puerto Rico Energy Bureau, the utility regulator, is currently conducting a rate case to revisit base electricity rates for the first time since 2017. One of the proposals under consideration would add six new charges, raising the base rate from $4 a month to over $40, a 900% increase.
The case is complicated by PREPA’s unresolved legacy debt and ongoing debates over cost allocation, with the potential for significant rate increases to cover debt service and operating shortfalls. PREPA has remained in Title III bankruptcy for years as it seeks to restructure more than $10 billion in debt.
Meanwhile, system performance continues to deteriorate. Performance data filed by grid operator LUMA Energy in January 2026 show that outages have become both longer and more frequent, with outage duration increasing by approximately 16.2% and outage frequency rising by about 3.3% compared to the prior year.
Against this backdrop, PR-ERF had already begun delivering tangible relief. At the time of cancellation, 6,078 residential solar and battery systems had been installed. An additional 12,000 households had been approved, with installations underway or scheduled, when the program was terminated.
Those households included families like Doña Ramona’s. She lives with her three sons, all of whom have disabilities. She does not own a car and does not have internet access. Her household income consists of a monthly pension of roughly $100. Through Programa Acceso Solar, her home received solar panels and battery storage with no upfront costs and a fixed monthly payment of $10.
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