Reps. Velazquez and AOC lead FEMA letter for renewable power grids in Puerto Rico 

Reps. Nydia Velazquez and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (both D-NY) drafted a letter to FEMA last week urging the agency to redirect electrical grid funding toward the development of more renewable energy sources and programs. FEMA originally allocated nearly $11.4 billion for grid reconstruction and modernization. The letter, which was co-signed by Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) among others, recommends investments in roof solar panels, storage batteries, and microgrids. The letter argues that Puerto Rico will continue to be impacted by natural disasters, and alternative, distributed renewable energy systems are a better option than the fragile centralized network that has powered, and failed, the Island for decades.

Puerto Rico dredging project in court this week 

A federal district court will hear oral arguments this week in a lawsuit brought by environmental advocates El Puente, CORALations and the Center for Biological Diversity challenging a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project in the San Juan Bay. The project would expand shipping channels to the bay, allowing for larger tankers. The lawsuit alleges that the environmental impact review was inadequate and failed to consider the impact of continued fossil fuel dependency for the Island. The suit also alleges that natural animal habitats will be negatively affected by this project.

Puerto Rico aging demographic crisis the worst in the nation 

Puerto Rico’s population is aging much faster than most places around the globe, driven mostly by the massive exodus of more than 700,000 people between ages 20-64 in the past fifteen years. The lack of multigenerational family networks is creating a strain on services for the elderly. Nearly one-fourth of people on the Island are over 65 years old, making Puerto Rico’s share of older people the tenth highest in the world. In 2007, 48% of Puerto Rico’s 65-and-over population reported having an adult child living off the Island, but that number has dramatically increased due to natural disasters, the pandemic, and political issues, among other factors. As a result, there are not enough nursing homes or independent living facilities or staff available to serve this population.