Solar help for Puerto Rico''s poor put on hold as billions sit unused

Puerto Rico''s 3. 2 million residents face another summer without reliable power, and a $350 million solar program meant to help 12, 000 low-income families now sits frozen. Nearly 200 groups asked for the money back, but instead it may go to patching the same old grid destroyed by Hurricane Maria in 2017. The island''s poverty rate tops 40%, so most people can''t afford solar panels on their own. For families with medical gear that runs on electricity, the cuts feel like a life-or-death switch. A 61-year-old woman on Culebra relies on a sleep apnea machine and her 67-year-old husband needs an electric bed because he''s a veteran and a double amputee. Right now they toss spoiled food every time the grid flickers. An 80-year-old woman with heart trouble must keep her eyedrops on ice—except ice doesn’t keep them cold enough. Both women live on Social Security that barely covers the month’s power bill, let alone repairs.Federal officials said Puerto Rico “had no choice” because Washington redirected the funds. Yet the U. S. Department of Energy still promises some solar systems will arrive—just no one knows who gets them or when. In the meantime, crews already installed panels in more than 6, 000 homes, but 12, 000 remain in limbo. Some were screened, others had their roofs fixed in preparation, yet the May 9 deadline looms with no answers. The debate isn’t only about money; it’s about who gets left behind. Rural towns in the mountains, like Adjuntas and Jayuya, already struggle to evacuate during storms. “It’s even more concerning, ” one advocate said, “because the road out is longer than the electricity is reliable. ” The same grid that failed five years ago is still crumbling, and without solar, families with disabilities or chronic illnesses stay one blackout away from a medical crisis.