Implementing Puerto Rico’s Energy Transformation

This briefing by RMI argues for the immediate implementation of Puerto Rico's energy transformation, emphasizing the urgent need for solar energy, battery storage, and energy efficiency to address grid instability following hurricanes and earthquakes.

• Puerto Rico's government passed Act 17, which establishes a goal of 100 percent renewable energy and associated supporting policies. The implementation of this vision is being managed through a public integrated resource plan (IRP) process to determine the 20-year transformation of the electric system.
• The electric grid faces imminent risks of blackouts due to a reliability gap caused by earthquake damage to the Costa Sur Power Plant, particularly as seasonal air conditioning loads increase. RMI notes that the grid remains largely unchanged since Hurricane Maria, with continued reliance on antiquated oil-fired plants.
• Significant investment in solar and battery storage is required to meet Act 17 targets and ensure reliability. PREPA's "Energy System Modernization" plan targets 2,400 megawatts of new solar and 920 megawatt hours of battery storage by 2025. Potential quick wins include renegotiating legacy solar contracts and using virtual power plant solutions to integrate existing rooftop batteries into the island-wide grid.
• Energy efficiency is identified as a high-value resource that should be used both to reduce demand in the short term to mitigate the Costa Sur outage and as a long-term strategy. PREB is encouraged to develop programs that ensure equitable access and clarify how efficiency measures compete with new energy supply.

APA

RMI (2020). Implementing Puerto Rico’s Energy Transformation. https://rmi.org/resources/implementing-puerto-ricos-energy-transformation/

Chicago

RMI. Implementing Puerto Rico’s Energy Transformation. 2020. https://rmi.org/resources/implementing-puerto-ricos-energy-transformation/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=Implementing Puerto Rico’s Energy Transformation |date=10 March 2020 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/implementing-puerto-ricos-energy-transformation/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2020implementing, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{Implementing Puerto Rico’s Energy Transformation}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2020}, month = mar, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/implementing-puerto-ricos-energy-transformation/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }