New EDF Community-based Solar Project for the Island Municipality of Culebra Financed by the U.S. Department of Energy

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Environmental Defense Fund today announced a new community-based solar energy project in the island municipality of Culebra, which will be financed by the Puerto Rico Energy Resilience Fund of the U.S. Department of Energy. 

EDF will collaborate with its local partners – Foundation for a Better Puerto Rico and Mujeres de Islas – to install up to an additional 150 solar energy and storage systems in low-income households on the island. 

“We are honored to have the opportunity to work on this new project along with two distinguished organizations that focus on Culebra’s sustainability and are working to transform it into the first solar island in the Caribbean,” said Daniel Whittle, Associate Vice President, Environmental Defense Fund. “While we continue working with communities throughout Puerto Rico, our goal is to share lessons learned and scale these kinds of projects to satisfy the energy needs of communities across the Caribbean.” 

As part of the Biden administration’s commitment to Puerto Rico’s transition to clean energy, DOE Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm visited Puerto Rico on various occasions in 2023. During her visit to Culebra, Granholm saw the impact EDF’s community-based solar energy pilot project has had in the lives of 45 families already and made a commitment to help Culebra become “the first island with 100% solar power in the Caribbean.” 

“Our community is often forgotten and invisible in the face of social and environmental justice issues, but this award will support our community mission to make energy justice a priority,” said Dulce del Rio-Pineda, founder and organizational coordinator of Mujeres de Islas. “Our community-based organization is grateful and honored to work hand in hand with Secretary Granholm, EDF, Foundation for a Better Puerto Rico and many other collaborators who are committed to supporting our right to lead the way and make our dream come true.”

EDF seeks to identify effective and equitable energy solutions that can bring clean, affordable, and reliable electricity to the communities of Puerto Rico, and can meet the daily needs of their families making the island more resilient to climate change. In particular, the organization's work focuses on promoting a community-driven solar and storage project on the island municipality of Culebra, and on supporting a variety of organizations that are driving systemic change in Puerto's electrical grid. 

“It has been an honor for us to partner with EDF to support our community, as we transition to reliable and sustainable energy,” said Theresa Bischoff, Secretaria y Tesorera, Foundation for a Better Puerto Rico. “EDF has demonstrated a commitment to truly engaging with and understanding our community and has succeeded with the solar energy pilot project in Culebra. We are thrilled that the Department of Energy agrees that EDF is an organization well capable of leading this community-based project to expand residential solar in the island with a collaborative approach.” 

EDF approaches this work holistically, leveraging our technical expertise, sustainable financing tools and energy reform experience to help develop long-term solutions to the territory’s energy crisis. For more information, visit www.edf.org/PuertoRico.