After two years of debate and planning, Puerto Rico finally appears positioned to re-create its electric grid with microgrids and renewable energy, mandated in a new utility integrated resource plan (IRP). The mandate came from the Puerto Rico Energy Bureau, the island’s chief energy regulator, in late August. Utility IRPs are guiding … [Read more...]
Search Results for: puerto rico
Progress on Puerto Rico’s IRP Plan: What it Means to the Grid and Microgrids
February 20, 2020 By 1 Comment
The Environmental Defense Fund's Daniel Whittle and Agustin Carbó report the latest on the Puerto Rico IRP proceeding, a complex and lengthy regulatory undertaking expected to influence microgrid and renewable energy development on the island. Puerto Rico’s electric grid is extremely fragile and in need of repair. The natural disasters that … [Read more...]
Microgrids Up and Running Despite Earthquake and Massive Power Outage in Puerto Rico
January 9, 2020 By 61 Comments
With a large swath of Puerto Rico in the dark as a result of this week’s earthquake, there is some good news from the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI). Microgrids in 10 schools are up and running. The solar plus storage microgrids were recently installed by RMI, Save the Children and Kinesis Foundation. Built in remote regions, the microgrids … [Read more...]
Microgrids Installed at 10 Puerto Rico Schools
December 20, 2019 By 4 Comments
In Puerto Rico, 3,600 children will now study in buildings with secure electricity thanks to the installation of school microgrids by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), Save the Children and Kinesis Foundation. The microgrids were installed in 10 schools, many of which had no power for six months after hurricane Maria destroyed the island's … [Read more...]
Scrutiny Begins of New Energy Resource Plan Issued by Puerto Rico’s Utility
June 11, 2019 By 3 Comments
The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) issued a revised integrated resource plan (IRP) late last week in the latest move to redesign the island’s grid to avoid a repeat of the massive power outages brought by Hurricane Maria. Like its earlier version, the new plan segments the island into eight minigrids but incorporates more … [Read more...]
Puerto Rico Microgrid Market to More than Double…Australia Advocacy Group Forms…Nigeria Extends RFP Deadline
June 5, 2019 By 2 Comments
Microgrid market to double in Puerto Rico Puerto Rico's microgrid market will more than double by the end of 2024, reaching 228 MW, according to new research from Wood Mackenzie. The report say that firms will compete for $419 million in projects at the top of the market. The US territory now ranks 14 among state markets for microgrid … [Read more...]
Bill Introduced in Congress Would Fund Renewables, Microgrids in Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands
April 26, 2019 By Leave a Comment
Legislation recently introduced in Congress would establish a grant program for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to fund development of renewable energy resources, microgrids, and energy storage. The bill aims to improve the electric system on the two island territories. Puerto Rico, in particular, is still struggling to recover from … [Read more...]
Microgrids Restore Water, Wastewater Services for Isolated Puerto Rico Communities
April 2, 2019 By 2 Comments
New water and wastewater systems powered by solar plus storage microgrids are reviving life and livelihoods in remote areas of Puerto Rico still struggling to recover from 2017's Hurricane Maria. In hard-to-reach areas of Puerto Rico where grid power has only recently been restored, six microgrid-powered pumping systems are now up and … [Read more...]
Puerto Rico’s Utility Calls for Making the Island into Eight Minigrids
February 5, 2019 By 5 Comments
Puerto Rico’s utility is calling for segmenting the island's electrical grid into eight minigrids, myriad microgrids and installing more energy storage than is now in all 50 US states. The concept is outlined in a draft integrated resource plan (IRP) that the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) plans to finalize and submit to … [Read more...]
A Microgrid Toolkit to Bring Equity to Power Restoration in Puerto Rico: RMI
January 21, 2019 By 1 Comment
Megan Kerins and Alejandra Castrodad-Rodríguez of the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) describe a new microgrid toolkit to ensure power reliability for those most vulnerable in Puerto Rico. When the lights went out September 20, 2017, no one could have foreseen that it would take 130 days to restore power to seven out of ten people in Puerto … [Read more...]
