Author: Amalis Córdova-Mustafá (LAW ‘26)

Puerto Rico’s First Solar Microgrid: A Beacon for Energy Independence and Decolonization

As I write this, sitting in my childhood living room in Dorado, Puerto Rico, I’ve already lost power twice. In Puerto Rico, a daily power outage or two is the norm. Our island’s energy system is infected with a culture and expectation of impropriety. Puerto Rico’s energy infrastructure is constantly damaged by natural disasters, and the island’s ability to recover, rebuild, and improve is perpetually hampered by colonial policies. Despite our island’s abundant renewable energy sources, we have been forced to rely on fossil fuels.  But communities in Puerto Rico are taking climate action into their own hands. Casa Pueblo is Puerto Rico’s first community-operated solar microgrid. It’s leveraging Puerto Rico’s solar capacity to ensure the surrounding town has a reliable source of electricity, especially during crises. Casa Pueblo is not just a symbol of, or model for, Puerto Rican energy revolution, it embodies a larger movement of decolonizing energy and decolonizing Puerto Rico. Solar energy and community activism are Puerto Rico’s greatest resources, but the island can’t succeed on its own. In the face …