September Map of the Month

By Laura Diaz-Villaquiran

Data: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) EAGLE-I Power Outage Dataset 

** Click on the map image to see the time series.**

In recent years, Puerto Rico has struggled with persistent power outages, and as we find ourselves in the middle of hurricane season, the island’s energy challenges—and resiliency solutions—are more pressing than ever. This month’s map features a time series of blackouts in Puerto Rico during 2022, using the most recent data available.  

The data used for this analysis comes from Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s EAGLE-I  power outage data, which focuses on Puerto Rico’s most populous municipalities. The 2022 data shows that the island experienced persistent energy outages throughout the year, with a spike in power loss following Hurricane Fiona’s landfall on September 18th, 2022. Note that the legend in the map does not indicate the number of people affected, it is the number of electric meters, buildings, or facilities without power.  

Puerto Rico has endured devastating natural disasters, including Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017, which led to a collapse of the island’s energy grid. After being impacted by both storms, 80% of the grid was destroyed, seriously affecting the island’s energy generation, distribution, and transmission infrastructure. This was considered the “largest blackout in U.S. history” and the world’s “second largest” blackout.  

In 2020, the island experienced a magnitude 6.4 earthquake which caused further disruptions to the energy grid, damaging Costa Sur, the largest power plant. In June of this year, a blackout during a heat wave left over 350,000 customers without power. Puerto Rico’s grid instability is of serious concern as it threatens the health and safety of its residents and puts a strain on critical services.  

According to the EIA, Puerto Rico imports the majority of the energy that it consumes and relies on 94% of fossil fuels to generate most of the island’s electricity. This reliance on imports and non-renewable energy makes it so that Puerto Ricans pay some of the highest energy prices in the U.S. 

Despite the ongoing challenges with Puerto Rico’s power grid, the island’s favorable conditions for solar, wind, and geothermal energy provide promising opportunities for building a more resilient and sustainable energy system. Some of the proposed pathways for leveraging climate resilience, emergency preparedness, and energy security in Puerto Rico include: 

  • Puerto Rico’s Energy Resilience Fund – The U.S. Department of Energy has committed $325 million in funding opportunities to support Puerto Rico’s energy grid modernization and clean energy transformation.  
  • Energy grid transformation – One of the key priorities of the Puerto Rican government’s energy policy is to move toward 100% renewable energy by 2050 and reduce the island’s dependence on fuel imports. This initiative is outlined in Ley 17-2019, also known as the “Ley de Política Pública Energética de Puerto Rico.” 
  • Solar powered microgrids: Solar microgrids and battery storage projects are underway. Microgrids are localized energy generation systems that operate independently from the main power grid and can provide electricity during a grid failure.  

These policy priorities aim to decrease Puerto Rico’s reliance on imported fossil fuels, leverage emergency preparedness, and enhance energy affordability. SEEA is committed to working with Puerto Rico in leveraging local capacity to support these and other efforts to enhance the resilience of the island’s energy infrastructure. 

Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA) Launches BRESE Collaborative to Enhance Regional Building Codes 

Atlanta, GA — 9/17/2024 — The Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA) is proud to announce the launch of the Building a Resilient and Efficient Southeast (BRESE) Collaborative, a groundbreaking initiative designed to address the region’s unique climate challenges and regulatory landscape. This collaborative effort aims to bolster energy code adoption, implementation, and compliance across the Southeast, a region currently lagging in building code advancements compared to national standards. 

With energy emissions and building resilience increasingly at the forefront of regional concerns, the BRESE Collaborative will bring together a diverse group of stakeholders to enhance and streamline building energy codes. By focusing on tailored solutions for the Southeast’s climate zones and regulatory environments, the BRESE Collaborative will empower states and municipalities to effectively lower building emissions and improve energy efficiency. 

The BRESE Collaborative will employ a multifaceted approach to drive progress, including the formation of peer-to-peer cohorts, a Community Code Innovation Prize for financial and technical support, and the provision of targeted technical assistance. The initiative will also create vital opportunities for convening and collaboration, directly engaging with state and local governments, implementers, and regional interest groups. 

Maggie Kelley Riggins, senior program manager at SEEA, will lead this initiative as the principal investigator. “The BRESE Collaborative is a critical step towards advancing energy efficiency and resilience in the Southeast,” said Kelley Riggins. “By leveraging regional expertise and resources, we aim to create a sustainable model that not only addresses immediate challenges but also lays the groundwork for long-term improvements in building energy codes.” 

Key partners in the BRESE Collaborative include the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority, the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, the Mississippi Energy and Natural Resources DivisionGreenlink Analytics, and the Southeast Sustainability Directors Network. Together, these organizations will engage over 200 stakeholders across the region, delivering technical assistance to at least 25 cohorts and CCIP projects. 

“Building codes in the Southeast lag behind the nations in energy efficiency improvements, impeding climate action,” said Matt Cox, CEO of Greenlink Analytics. “Improved codes reduce electricity use, decrease carbon emissions, lower costs, and boost health. The BRESE project aims to accelerate these advancements for better building practices through community engagement, which will benefit people in the Southeastern region.” 

The project is anticipated to produce significant benefits, including a conservative estimate of 10% improvement in residential and commercial building codes. This improvement is projected to yield cumulative savings of 47 trillion btu in energy, $1.1 billion in cost savings, and a reduction of 5.8 million metric tons of CO2 emissions over five years. 

“The BRESE Collaborative is a pivotal investment in the Southeast’s energy future, fostering workforce development, pioneering efficiency-based policies, and strengthening our foundation for federal support. Through strategic partnerships and innovative solutions, we will drive meaningful change and position the Southeast as a leader in energy efficiency,” said Aimee Skrzekut, President and CEO of the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA).

For more information about the BRESE Collaborative, please contact:

Maggie Kelley Riggins 

Senior Program Manager 

Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA) 

About SEEA:

The Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA) is a nonprofit organization committed to advancing energy efficiency in the Southeast to create a cleaner, more resilient, and equitable energy future. By fostering collaboration among diverse stakeholders and providing technical expertise, SEEA drives impactful energy efficiency initiatives across the region.

About Greenlink Analytics:

Greenlink Analytics (“Greenlink”) is an Atlanta-based clean energy and equity research non-profit organization equipped with sophisticated analytical technologies and deep industry knowledge in the clean energy space, receiving accolades from MIT, Georgia Tech, Yale, and the National Science Foundation, among others. It uses these technologies to help create a smarter, cleaner, and more equitable future.