The U.S. Department of Energy Cancels Funding for Community Solar Energy Projects in Puerto Rico

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The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on January 9 notified that it is cancelling cooperative agreements and over $300 million in funding for solar energy installations for thousands of low-income households, including  a community solar project led by Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), Foundation for a Better Puerto Rico and Mujeres de Islas, in the island municipality of Culebra, Puerto Rico. The organizations regret the DOE’s decision, as it will prevent more than 100 families in Culebra and thousands throughout Puerto Rico from receiving clean, affordable, and reliable electricity via solar and battery storage systems.

“The government’s decision to cancel this project is baffling, and fundamentally at odds with its own stated goals on energy security, abundance, independence and affordability,” said Daniel Whittle, Associate Vice President, Resilient Caribbean at Environmental Defense Fund. “Our project is designed to achieve all those goals, and simply put, would make people’s lives better. Canceling it will inevitably make lives worse by denying a proven, life-saving clean energy solution to a community that has already endured deadly, prolonged power outages.”

Culebra, located northeast of Puerto Rico, is often the first island, together with Vieques, to be hit by hurricanes and the last to receive assistance. The installation of rooftop solar systems and battery storage on family homes is a proven solution that significantly improves the quality of life in Culebra's communities, especially during hurricane season. 

“As a last-mile community and the last ones to get power after Hurricane Maria, the cancellation of this wonderful program makes you wonder: How could it not be consistent with the current administration’s goals?” questioned Theresa Bischoff, President of the Foundation for a Better Puerto Rico.

Since 2022, 45 families in Culebra have had solar systems installed on their roofs as part of EDF's first residential solar pilot project in the island municipality. These families can preserve their food, operate essential appliances, and keep medical equipment and medications refrigerated thanks to the solar energy these systems provide during power outages, which are increasingly common in Puerto Rico. 

“We are outraged by this decision and demand social justice for our community of Culebra now,” said Dulce del Rio-Pineda, Founder and Organizational Coordinator, Mujeres de Islas.

EDF seeks to identify effective and fair energy solutions that can bring clean, affordable, and reliable electricity to Puerto Rico's communities and meet the daily needs of their families, making the island more resilient to climate change. EDF’s team in Puerto Rico, together with partner organizations, remains committed to supporting the community in Culebra in its goal to achieve energy security and independence, and, in the wake of this regrettable decision, will explore all options for helping it do so.

For more information, please visit: www.edf.org/PuertoRico. 

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With more than 3 million members, Environmental Defense Fund creates transformational solutions to the most serious environmental problems. To do so, EDF links science, economics, law, and innovative private-sector partnerships to turn solutions into action. edf.org

The Foundation for a Better Puerto Rico is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2014. Recognizing the significant challenges Puerto Rico faces, we are committed to supporting those working on meaningful solutions. Our primary focus has been on the island of Culebra, home to a community of 1,400 residents. https://betterpuertorico.org/

Mujeres de Islas is a local community foundation in the island municipality of Culebra in Puerto Rico. The organization looks to identify resources, strengthen initiatives, and create projects that contribute to sustainable development through a Culture of Peace and transformative education, impacting the emotional health, cultural development, environmental protection, and socioeconomic well-being of Culebra. https://www.mujeresdeislas.com/