The US Department of Energy has taken a big step to help Puerto Rico with its power problems. They said theyd give $861 million to build two solar farms on the island
These solar farms will be in Guayama and Salinas (towns in the south). Clean Flexible Energy LLC‚ which is part of The AES Corporation and TotalEnergies Holdings USA Inc‚ is behind this project. It will add up to 200 megawatts of solar power and 285 megawatts of storage to Puerto Ricos grid
Jennifer M. Granholm‚ the US Energy Secretary‚ talked about how much energy these farms could make. They think it will be about 460‚000 megawatts – thats enough to power around 43‚000 homes
This news comes at a good time. Puerto Rico still has a lot of power outages. The islands power grid is old and weak. It was really hurt by Hurricane Maria (a very strong storm) about 7 years ago. Even before that storm‚ the grid wasnt in good shape because people didnt put money into fixing it
Right now‚ Puerto Rico uses a lot of fossil fuels for electricity – about 94%. But they want to change that. Theyre trying to get 40% of their power from clean sources by next year. And by 2040‚ they want that number to be 60%
This project is a big deal for Puerto Rico. Its helping them move towards using more clean energy. This could mean fewer power outages and a more reliable electricity supply for people on the island
The solar farms are not just about making electricity. They also include ways to store power. This is important because it means they can keep giving electricity even when the sun isnt shining
This investment in Puerto Ricoʼs energy infrastructure is a significant step towards a more resilient and sustainable future for the island
Puerto Rico has had a hard time with electricity since Hurricane Maria. This new project could help make things better. Its part of a bigger plan to fix the islands power problems and use more renewable energy
The US government is showing its committed to helping Puerto Rico by giving this loan guarantee. Its a way to support the island as it tries to improve its power system and recover from past disasters