Why is Puerto Rico's energy system still struggling 7 years after Hurricane Maria, and how does territorial status make everything worse? In this episode of the Mano a Mano podcast, host George Laws Garcia sits down with Tom King, founder of the Borincana Foundation and Puerto Rico Energy Forum, to break down the island's complex energy crisis.
They explore the ongoing PREPA debt bankruptcy that's blocking billions in federal recovery funds, the reality behind Puerto Rico's energy privatization efforts, and why distributed solar has become both a solution and new challenge for the grid. Tom shares expert insights on fossil fuels and renewables are not mutually exclusive but are both needed to complement each other as Puerto Rico advances its energy transformation process, the recent Sunnova bankruptcy affecting thousands of Puerto Rican solar customers, and how property title issues still limit energy financing.
Most importantly, they discuss why Puerto Rico's territorial status creates systemic barriers to reliable energy and economic development - from limited access to capital markets to population decline that reduces the customer base needed to support grid investments.
In this episode:
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction
01:40 Tom King's Background and Involvement in Puerto Rico's Energy Sector
05:22 Current State of Puerto Rico's Energy System
06:49 Challenges and Controversies in Energy Privatization
10:38 Financial and Infrastructure Hurdles
15:05 Debate on Fuel Sources and Renewable Energy
23:07 Impact of Renewable Energy on the Grid
28:39 Population Decline and Political Status
30:49 Challenges of Puerto Rico's Energy System
31:16 The Impact of Puerto Rico's Territorial Status
32:02 Energy Costs and Stability in Puerto Rico
35:12 Property Title Issues and Economic Impact
38:24 Sunnova's Bankruptcy and Its Implications
44:54 Future of Puerto Rico's Energy Sector
53:37 Resources and Initiatives for Energy Development
🔔 Subscribe for weekly deep-dives into Puerto Rico's path to decolonization and statehood.
#PuertoRico #EnergyPolicy #PuertoRicoStatehood #Decolonization #PREPA #LUMAEnergy #SolarPower #TerritoryStatus #ManoAManoPodcast #PuertoRicoGrid