SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Close to 200 organizations are pushing the Trump administration and Puerto Rico’s governor to bring back $350 million in federal money originally designated to fund rooftop solar panels and battery storage for 12,000 low-income households throughout the territory.
Numerous families among those affected have disabilities or health conditions requiring constant power. Worries are mounting that the federal government will leave these residents behind as ongoing electrical outages continue and Atlantic hurricane season approaches.
“For them in particular, whether they get a (solar) system or not is something that is really life or death,” Charlotte Gossett Navarro, Puerto Rico chief director for the Hispanic Federation, said in a phone interview.
The advocacy organization joined others in signing a letter made public Wednesday addressed to Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González and U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright.
The Hispanic Federation represents one of seven groups that were slated to assist with solar panel installations and provide educational support to families. Several of these organizations are now formally challenging the funding cancellation or in discussions with the U.S. Department of Energy.
González has stated her administration “had no choice” since federal officials determined Puerto Rico would not receive those funds, which are now expected to go toward the island’s failing electrical infrastructure, devastated by Hurricane Maria in 2017 but already in poor condition due to insufficient investment and upkeep.
Solar system installation remains financially out of reach for many on the island of approximately 3.2 million residents, where poverty affects more than 40% of the population.
Gossett Navarro indicated they have received no responses to outstanding questions regarding the funding as a May 9 deadline looms, signaling the end of a program that never began for some participants.
Installation teams had already completed solar setups for over 6,000 homes through the initiative, but an additional 12,000 families now face uncertainty.
Yvette Rodríguez, 61, who requires a sleep apnea device, and her spouse, Luis Soler, a 67-year-old veteran and double amputee who depends on an electric adjustable bed, are among those waiting.
“There’s a big need for those solar panels,” said Rodríguez, who lives on the small Puerto Rican island of Culebra with her husband, who needs air conditioning because he has heart problems and lives in a region where heat warnings are common.
She expressed frustration that frequent power failures force them to discard spoiled food.
“We’re affected economically in a big way because we have to spend what little money we have so that we can eat,” she said.
The federal funding reduction also impacts María Pérez, 80, and her 88-year-old spouse. She suffers from high blood pressure and cardiac issues that have resulted in multiple hospital stays. She also requires refrigerated eye drops for cataracts.
“I put them on ice, but it’s not the same,” she said. “They have us suffering with that money that they took away from us. It’s not fair.”
Pérez receives $364 monthly through Social Security, but like many Puerto Ricans, her electricity bill often equals that amount.
Gabriela Joglar Burrowes, executive director of Puerto Rico’s Statewide Independent Living Council, also signed the letter to González and Wright.
She explained that solar panels would have delivered not only reliable electricity but also mental comfort.
“If you’re a person who depends on equipment like a ventilator, a dialysis machine or medicine that requires refrigeration, the lack of consistent energy represents a risk that could lead to even death,” she said.
Joglar Burrowes, who lives with a disability, emphasized that thousands of families had waited extensively for the solar installations and deserve consideration. “It seems like sometimes we’re disposable, and we’re not,” she said.
Some of the 12,000 households have completed initial qualification reviews, while others have already undergone home assessments or begun roof repairs in anticipation of solar installation.
The majority of families reside in remote areas, including mountainous communities such as Adjuntas, Jayuya and Orocovis.
“It’s even more concerning,” said Gossett Navarro. “It’s hard to get out of the mountains when there’s a disaster.”
The U.S. Department of Energy indicates on its website that some residents will receive systems, but agency representatives have not specified who will qualify or provided timeline details.
