This past September, electricity costs jumped the highest amount in 41 years due to factors like economic rebounds from the pandemic, the extra hot and humid summer and autumn months, and Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine affecting the global energy market.
So, what exactly is happening to make prices so high in the Caribbean, and why does it seem so hard to fix? In 2017, Hurricanes Maria and Irma destroyed a massive amount of infrastructure on the islands. At the time, a number of residents complained the islands were long neglected for aid, which is a long-running problem across U.S. territories.
Eventually, the federal government earmarked about $65 billion for disaster relief and to rebuild the electrical infrastructures in Puerto Rico, but only $20 billion of that has been paid out. Plus, any of the"fixes" have been criticized for being temporary or poorly constructed."I think it's a situation where we suffered so long, we think it's normal," Gov. Bryan said."We laugh when people go without power for 24 hours in the states, and it's an outrage.
Another huge factor to consider is that natural gas and petrol still generate the vast majority of electricity in the region — up to about 80% in Puerto Rico — and that's all dependent on imports, which drives up prices to begin with.