Sustainable, Democratic Energy and Public Health | Briefing | EESI

This document is a transcript of a briefing held by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) on June 4, 2020, focusing on resilience initiatives, energy democracy, and public health in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands following natural disasters.

• A study commissioned by the U.S. Department of Energy through the University of Puerto Rico recommends that the electrical system in Puerto Rico be developed primarily using rooftop solar installations. This approach is preferred over wind energy because wind projects require significant investment in transmission infrastructure, whereas rooftop solar allows for on-site power generation using existing buildings.
• In the U.S. Virgin Islands, efforts to update the hazard mitigation plan for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) include strategies for resilient housing, infrastructure, and the protection of natural systems. While the U.S. Virgin Islands lack large stands of mangroves that would significantly impact a hurricane, natural systems provide other essential benefits such as fisheries, stormwater filtration, and retention.
• Community-led resilience efforts in Puerto Rico include the establishment of community hubs—such as schools, hospitals, and community centers—that support disaster recovery. These initiatives encompass the installation of water filtration and rooftop solar, as well as housing reconstruction conducted on a community mutual aid basis.
• The U.S. Caribbean islands, including Puerto Rico, Vieques, Culebra, St. Croix, St. Thomas, St. John, and Water Island, are noted by the Fourth National Climate Assessment as being more sensitive to changes in precipitation and temperature than similar systems in the mainland United States due to their relative isolation and small size.

APA

Arthur, M. (2020). Sustainable, Democratic Energy and Public Health | Briefing | EESI. Environmental and Energy Study Institute. https://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/060420prusvi

Chicago

Arthur, Maeve. Sustainable, Democratic Energy and Public Health | Briefing | EESI. Environmental and Energy Study Institute, 2020. https://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/060420prusvi.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Arthur |first1=Maeve |title=Sustainable, Democratic Energy and Public Health | Briefing | EESI |publisher=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |date=4 June 2020 |url=https://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/060420prusvi |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{arthur2020sustainable, author = {Arthur, Maeve}, title = {{Sustainable, Democratic Energy and Public Health | Briefing | EESI}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2020}, month = jun, url = {https://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/060420prusvi}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }