THE ROLE OF RENEWABLE AND DISTRIBUTED ENERGY IN A RESILIENT AND COST-EFFECTIVE ENERGY FUTURE FOR PUERTO RICO

The document argues that emerging energy technologies—including solar PV, wind, battery storage, and microgrids—are now cost-competitive and more resilient than traditional fossil-fuel-based systems. It highlights that while the 2017 hurricanes caused the longest sustained outage in U.S. history, the resulting damage provides an opportunity to rebuild the grid using distributed resources that can be deployed quickly and reduce reliance on expensive imported fuels.

• Renewable energy is now cost-competitive with existing fossil fuel generation in Puerto Rico. Recent regional solar and wind projects range from $0.08/kWh to $0.15/kWh and $0.07/kWh to $0.20/kWh, respectively, while existing fossil fuel operating costs in Puerto Rico range from $0.09/kWh to $0.28/kWh.
• Energy storage costs have declined by 70 percent between 2010 and 2016, with an expected further 50 percent decrease by 2020. In Puerto Rico, a long-duration battery-based system integrated with solar PV is estimated to provide energy at approximately $0.095–$0.115/kWh.
• Microgrids can provide a cost-effective alternative to storm-hardening remote parts of the grid. In Puerto Rico, solar and battery-based microgrids for remote communities or small-scale systems (<1 MW) are estimated to cost between $0.18–$0.24/kWh.
• Energy efficiency represents a significant, low-cost resource for Puerto Rico. A 2013 study by University of Puerto Rico Mayagüez researchers indicated a potential for 26 percent energy savings over 10 years, with regional Caribbean efficiency portfolios ranging from $0.05-$0.07/kWh.
• Renewable energy generators proved highly resilient during the 2017 hurricanes compared to the rest of the grid. In Puerto Rico, 90 percent of utility-scale solar PV and wind capacity remained operating or ready to operate, and 75–95 percent of residential solar systems remained physically intact.
• New energy technologies can be deployed rapidly to restore power. Examples include Tesla's installation of a 100 MW/129 MWh battery farm in South Australia in under 100 days, and the rapid restoration of power to Puerto Rican businesses and communities using combined solar and storage projects in days or weeks.

APA

Toussie, I., Dyson, M., Mifsud, A. S., Shwisberg, L., Torbert, R., Doig, S., Gold, R., & Silberg, M. (2017). THE ROLE OF RENEWABLE AND DISTRIBUTED ENERGY IN A RESILIENT AND COST-EFFECTIVE ENERGY FUTURE FOR PUERTO RICO. RMI. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/12/Insight_Brief_Puerto_Rico_Resilient_CostEffective_Energy.pdf

Chicago

Toussie, Isaac, Mark Dyson, Ana Sophia Mifsud, Lauren Shwisberg, Roy Torbert, Stephen Doig, Rachel Gold, and Mark Silberg. THE ROLE OF RENEWABLE AND DISTRIBUTED ENERGY IN A RESILIENT AND COST-EFFECTIVE ENERGY FUTURE FOR PUERTO RICO. RMI, 2017. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/12/Insight_Brief_Puerto_Rico_Resilient_CostEffective_Energy.pdf.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{toussie2017role, author = {Toussie, Isaac and Dyson, Mark and Mifsud, Ana Sophia and Shwisberg, Lauren and Torbert, Roy and Doig, Stephen and Gold, Rachel and Silberg, Mark}, title = {{THE ROLE OF RENEWABLE AND DISTRIBUTED ENERGY IN A RESILIENT AND COST-EFFECTIVE ENERGY FUTURE FOR PUERTO RICO}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2017}, month = dec, url = {https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/12/Insight_Brief_Puerto_Rico_Resilient_CostEffective_Energy.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }