Energy Resilience and Community Empowerment in Puerto Rico
For communities in Puerto Rico, especially those that are rural and isolated, energy resilience hubs—community-based solar-plus-storage installations that provide reliable electricity when the electric grid cannot—are a vital lifeline when hurricanes or other extreme weather events cause blackouts. Energy resilience hubs enable emergency responders to charge their equipment and residents to get online, charge their phones, and cook meals when their power goes out. Working refrigerators mean residents can preserve food, and air conditioning saves lives during extreme heat.
Just as importantly, resilience hubs are projects that bring together neighbors and leaders. Through community-focused processes that include IREC facilitation and technical guidance, the individuals and families who live in vulnerable areas design resilience hubs to meet their particular needs. Residents are empowered to decide where to build their hub and what services they most need to sustain their community when there is no electricity.
Recently, Melanie Quiñones, IREC Program Manager of Puerto Rico Energy Resilience, appeared on Victoria 840 radio to talk with Professor Ángel Morales on his Saturday morning show about the five Energy Resilience Hubs established in 2024 and the five new hubs set to be completed in 2025, all in partnership with the University of Puerto Rico in Mayaguez.
Interview highlights include:
“Community members choose an energy committee made up of community leaders, who ensure the project goals, from planning to installation, are successful. The leaders select their critical loads by considering what needs to be charged—medical equipment, air conditioners, washing machines, even a coffee maker.”
“The community helps select the system installer, choosing the company that is best for their needs. They meet the bidders, they participate in the installation, and at the end, they are given a workshop on how to operate and maintain the system that will be in their community. It’s very, very important to empower the community and lead them to self-sufficiency.”
“During a blackout, one community told us that their system was fully operational. That was an achievement for us. Other times, a community will not even realize the power has gone out because their system continues to work.”
Listen to the whole interview (in Spanish) below.
Learn more about resilience hub and energy resilience in Puerto Rico:
Read more about how IREC is accelerating the growth of Puerto Rico’s solar industry and workforce.
Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, Celebrates Energy Resilience Hub (leer en Español)
Castañer, Puerto Rico, Presents Community Energy Resilience Plan (leer en Español)
Five Puerto Rico Communities Inaugurate Energy Resilience Hubs (leer en Español)
