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The ongoing electricity disaster in Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Maria — and on several other Caribbean islands slammed at full force by strong storms — is driving new interest in ways of shifting island power grids toward greater reliance on wind, solar and even, someday, large batteries.
This year’s hurricanes could be black swan events in several ways.
The ongoing electricity disaster in Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Maria — and on several other Caribbean islands slammed at full force by strong storms — is driving new interest in ways of shifting island power grids toward greater reliance on wind, solar and even, someday, large batteries.
“For the most part, these island grids were completely devastated, and it will be four to six months before most of them can power their islands completely again,” said Chris Burgess, director of projects for the Islands Energy Program at the Rocky Mountain Institute.
Adding more renewables, and moving away from centralized power grids to more so-called “microgrids,” could lower costs and increase resilience in the face of storms, several energy experts said. And island…
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The Most Revolutionary Act 
There is no excuse NOT to rebuild their power grid using renewable resources. Going months without power in a tropical paradise with that much potential for use of solar and wind is ridiculous. Such a system could easily be made less prone to future devastation similar to what they face now.
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Excellent point, Rick. It sounds like they’re all getting ripped off right now with the exorbitant price they’re paying for diesel generated electricity.
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