In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria?s incredible damage, many are looking at the advantages of a 21st century power system The widespread devastation left in the wake of Hurricane Maria has upended the island of Puerto Rico. Amid important and timely questions of getting food, water, and medical supplies to citizens in need, one challenge appears to literally loom overhead as residents and federal officials work to rebuild. The island?s aged and poorly maintained, power system, left in tatters by the storm, is a key obstacle to returning any sense of normalcy to Puerto Ricans.
?This is devastating,? says Ruth Santiago, an attorney and resident of Salinas who works for Comite Dialogo Ambiental, a local community group. ?Small industries and companies just weren?t prepared, and even many of the big pharmaceutical plants haven?t come back. Many people are leaving the island. In the past two weeks, something like 10,000 people have left the island. Not sure if it?s a permanent exodus.? As commentators continue to discuss the shortages and lack of power that?s still impacting a wide swatch of the island, it?s clear that there?s no quick and easy fix.
?We should have power within a few months for 30-40 percent of the population,? says Efrain O'Neill-Carrillo, Professor at the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department of the University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez and a resident of Añasco. ?40-60 percent should get power before Christmas. But there?s a huge percentage i...