Empowering Culebra

Culebra’s Solar Energy Project will switch-on before the peak of the hurricane season, during the beginning of September 2022. Community engagement and participation has been key in moving this project forward for the past three years. And we can say we’re almost ready! Over fifty-five business, non-profit and critical facilities sites will produce 950 kW (kilowatts) of power, generated from the sun. This represents approximately ¼ of the energy Culebra’s residents and visitors needs to live, provide essential services and generate economic activity.

We have established a separate corporation to manage, maintain and provide services to the energy system and its clientele. A novel operation that seeks to maintain the project running and generating the income to become self-sufficient.

After Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in September 2017, Culebra and Vieques, two municipal islands in the north-eastern region, suffered from lack of energy for more than a year. Power generators had been providing the source to maintain electricity in the island with an unprecedented, elevated cost and with a negative impact on the environment. According to Census 2020, Culebra population is 1,792. Fundación Comunitaria de Puerto Rico (FCPR) proposed to transform Culebra's energy system into a renewable system providing a solar energy infrastructure to local businesses like supermarkets, restaurants, hardware stores, and municipal critical facilities, as well as local community-based organizations that are providing the Culebrenses with a wide array of services. 

The project started in 2019 with planning and matching grants efforts. By 2020, the work concentrated on contracting staff, legal, compliance, and engineers for the design. In 2021, PRCF celebrated community outreaches and individual and collective structure predesigns.

The project is funded by EDA, GlobalGiving, Prudential, and other private donors. Be a part of the transformation of Culebra and continue to support this project. 

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