Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico in March and electricity is still not restored to many areas because of uprooted poles and damages to the grid. The authorities are trying to bring back normalcy, but a blackout hit San Juan and surrounding areas. This was the result of shut down of a couple of main Power Plants.

NBC News reports that more than 970,000 people live in the areas hit by the blackout. Puerto Rico's Electric Power Authority has confirmed that work has started to repair the fault and restore power supply on priority. Incidentally, a fire at one of the company's substations knocked a couple of power plants offline, and there was no power for two days.

The matter is still under investigation.

It has been a long wait

The authorities are aware of the critical situation and certain portions of Puerto Rico are still without any electricity, even though six months have passed after Hurricane Maria devastated and crippled the power distribution system. ABC News adds that the team of engineers has indicated there are accessibility problems in some remote areas and also in difficult terrains. This hampers the smooth flow of work and delays are inevitable in order to achieve full restoration. The Category 4 storm struck the island on Sept. 20 and millions of residents faced total darkness. Puerto Rico Energy Power Authority has confirmed that the situation is gradually improving and 86.6 percent of the customers have power on the island.

Is solar power the solution?

The power grid infrastructure in Puerto Rico is outdated, and it has suffered extensive damages due to Hurricane Maria. Rebuilding it from scratch would be a difficult task and the authorities need to explore possibilities of embracing solar power. Instead of investing in the old outdated system, it would be better to opt for the new age solar system.

USA Today mentioned firms that have shown an interest in bringing solar power to the island. One of them is Elon Musk’s Tesla. The company has donated solar panels for a hospital. Its products are already in use in certain places and these are believed to be comparable to diesel generators in terms of cost.

Another company is Sonnen from Germany.

It has donated a number of solar energy batteries for community kitchens and health clinics and has plans to tie up with the government to expand its involvement in generating electricity. In the opinion of San Juan’s mayor, Carmen Yulín Cruz, solar energy holds promises of imparting a new look to the city’s electric supply.
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