A $17.6 billion plan to rebuild and modernize Puerto Rico’s electric power system was released on 11 December.
Prepared by more than a dozen entities, including the island’s electric power authority (PREPA), the 63-page plan calls for a decade-long series of projects and operational improvements. The plan is aimed at building an electric power system capable of surviving an “upper Category 4 event” (250-kilometer-per-hour winds) and heavy flood waters.
In broad terms, the plan is modeled on work under way on Long Island, New York, in response to the destruction caused by Hurricane Sandy, Quiniones told IEEE Spectrum. Sandy hit Long Island and the Northeast in 2012, causing widespread damage to the grid. The rebuild plan includes reinforcing poles and structures, installing underground power lines in wind-prone areas, and integrating smart grid technology to the T&D system.
