Solar was poised to help Puerto Ricans survive blackouts — until Trump axed nearly $1B in funding

Puerto Rico Falls Victim to Trump’s War on Solar Power

Nearly 40,000 poor and working-class people in Puerto Rico were promised accessible solar panels and battery storage from the U.S. government following massive blackouts after Hurricane Maria in 2017 and Hurricane Fiona in 2022. Within a year of Donald Trump winning his second term as president, his administration eliminated the programs.On Thursday, Grist reported that the Trump administration has diverted a large chunk of funding away from the…

Solar was poised to help Puerto Ricans survive blackouts — until Trump axed nearly $1B in funding

María Pérez lost power for about three months after Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico in September 2017. Her home in Salinas, on the island’s southern coast, sits near a river. As the hurricane knocked out the island’s grid and sent rainwaters surging down from the mountains, Perez’s house flooded with a swirling mix of muddy water and animal feces, rising 3 feet high and warping the hallways. For the next three months, she went without power a…