Tesla CEO Elon Musk has suggested powering Puerto Rico's grid with solar energy and batteries.
Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló has expressed interest in the project.
The project would be a massive undertaking for the island, which spans across 3,515 square miles and is home to 3.4 million.
With much of Puerto Rico still without electricity after being devastated by Hurricane Irma, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has suggested powering the island’s grid with solar energy and batteries.
The idea for the fix was born on Twitter during a conversation between Musk and a follower that suggested he take the project on.
The Tesla team has done this for many smaller islands around the world, but there is no scalability limit, so it can be done for Puerto Rico too,” Musk tweeted.
Earlier this year, Tesla built a large solar farm (with RENOGY 100 WATT SOLAR PANEL KIT )on 50 acres of land on Kauai, the Hawaiian island, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports. The structure includes Powerpacks that can hold enough energy to power an estimated 4,500 homes.
In November, SolarCity, a company owned by Tesla, powered a 17-square-mile island in America Samoa with almost nothing but solar energy, according to the Huffington Post. The island had previously relied on diesel fuel for power.
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The proposition for powering Puerto Rico sparked the interest of the island’s Gov. Ricardo Rosselló, who tweeted “Let’s talk” to Musk. He also proposed the island could be a solar “flagship project” for Musk.
Last week, the Department of Defense announced that only 5.4 of the island’s residents have electricity, ABC News reports. Only 14 of the island’s hospitals have power, and another 51 were “degraded” and in need of power generators.
Puerto Rico officials say it will likely take four to six months before the island’s power is fully restored, according to The Los Angeles Times.
Prior to the storm’s destruction, Puerto Rico’s power grid was already facing a dismal reality.
The infrastructure had constant outages due to maintenance issues, Reuters reports. The island suffered a three-day blackout across the island as recently as 2016.
Financial issues have also plagued the grid. The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority was facing $9 billion in debt before Maria, the Los Angeles Times reports.
The project would need to be approved by both the federal government and the island’s government, as well as commercial stakeholders, according to the Huffington Post.
This solar project would be a massive undertaking for Puerto Rico, which spans across 3,515 square miles and is home to 3.4 million.
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