SOLEDAD: FOUR YEARS AGO, WHEN HURRICANE MARIA MADE LANDFALL IN PUERTO RICO, IT LT EFTHREE THOUSAND DEAD. CAUSED NEARLY 100 BILLION DOLLARS IN DAMAGE. AND KNOCKED OUT POWER TO THE RESIDENTS OF THE ISLANFORD NEARLY A YEAR. TO HELP REBUILD PUERTO RICO'’ HOMES, HIGHWAYS, AND ELECTRILCA GRID, CONGRESS ALLOCATED AROUN63D BILLION DOLLARS IN DISASTER RELIEF. REPORTS SHOW LITTLE OF THAAIT D MONEY HAS GONE TO REPAIR THE OUTDATED POWER GRID. IN FACT, PUERTO RICO’S RESIDESNT ARE STILL VULNERAB.LE JUST THIS WEEK, WIDESPREAD POWER OUTAGES AND ROLLING BLACKOUTS AFFECTED NEARLY A THIRD OF THE GRID’S CUSTOMERS. DEBATES OVER PUERTO RICO’S ENERGY FUTURE HAVE MANY ONHE T ISLAND ADVOCATING FOR A SORLA SOLUTION. SOMETHING WE SAW IN PERSON IN 20.19 >> PUERTO RICO FROM ABOVE BLUE TARPS COVER LEAKY ROOFS. SOME OLD POWER LINES ARE IN DISREPAIR. PUERTO RICO IS STILL ON THE MEND. >> "HOW BAD D DITHINGS GET HERE? >> VERY BAD YOU KNOW, YOU SEE THAT’S MY ROOF." >> JOSEPH CORDERO’S FAMILY LOST THEIR ROOF AND POWER FOR NEARLY FOUR MS.TH >> ALL THIS AREA, ETH ELECTRICITY GOES FAST. ANY WD,IN ANY RAIN, THE ELECTRICITY GOES. SOLEDAD: EVEN WHEN THERENOS HURRICAN E? >> YEAH, EXACTLY. >> BUT NEXT TIME WL BEIL DIFFERENT. THE CORDEROS AND MANY PUERTO RICANS SAY THEY HAVE A HOMEGROWN PLAN TO RECOVER FROM THE NEW STORMS THAT WILL SURELY FOLLOW MARIA. THEY CALL IT AUTO-GESTION OR LFSE SUFFICIENCY. >> ESTAN DEPENDIENDO DE ELLOS NO DE LA AGENCIA GOVERNMENT.AL SOLED:DA YOU WANT TO DEPEND ON YOURSELF NOT ON THE GOVERNNTME TO RESCUE YOU IF YOU WL?IL >> YEH, WE CREATE OUR OWN ENERGY >> FOR THE CORDEROS AUTO GESTION MEANS EMBRACING SOLAR POWER. IT COST $3,400 TO INSTALL SOLAR PANELS THAT NOW POWER THEIR ENTIRE HE.OM >> IF ANOTHER HURRICANE PA WSS HAVE ELECTRICITY BECAUSE WE NO LONGER DEPEND ON THE BIG PLANTS AND IT’S MORE EASY TO HELP THE PEOPLE. >> 98% OF PUERTO RICO’S POWER COMES FROM ELECTRICAL GRIDS LIKE THIS ONE IN NEARBY GUAYAMA. THEY CAN RUN ON OIL, NATURAL GAS OR COAL. THE ELECTRICITY IS CARRIED ON LINES ABOVE GROUND THROUGH RAIN FORESTS AND MOUNTAINS TO GET TO MORE POPULATED PARTOFS THE ISLAND. RUTH SANTIAGO IS A LAWYER WORKING WITH COMUNIDDA COQUI, A GROUP OF RESIDESNT WHO’VE BEEN LOBBYING FOR MEOR THAN FOUR YEARS TO REPLACE THESE PLANTS WITH SOLAR POWER. >> THE COMMUNITY GROUPS ARE IMPACTED BY THIS IN SO MYAN WA.YS THERE IS LOTS OF AIR POLLUTION COMING FROM THIS PLANT, ALSO THE WATER SCDIHARGES, THEY DISCHARGE WHAT THEY CALLED THERMAL HEATED WATER INTO THE JOBOS BAY. >> THE PUERTO RICAN ELECICTR POWER AUTHORITY OR PREPA WAS STRUGGLING BEFORE MARIA. THEY HAD DECLARED BANKRUPTCY AND TOOK MON11THS TO FULLY RESTORE POR.WE >> THIS IS THE COMMUNICATISON ARRAY WHICH IS POWERED BY THIS SOLAR PANEL OVER HERE. >> SOLAR POWER HELPED THIS FIRE STATION IN SAN JUAGEN T ITS COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT UP AND RUINNNG TWO MONTHS AFTER HURRICANE MARIA. AN NGO CALLED "EMPOWERED BY LIGHT" PARTNERED WITH THE SOLAR ENERGY COMPY,AN SUNRUN TO INALSTL PANELS ON THEIR ROOF. THEY’VE OUTFITTED1 1 FIRE STATIONS WITH PANELS SINCE ENTH JAVIER RUA JOVET IS SUNRUN’S DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC POLY.IC >> AFTER THE HURRICANE, THERE IS A NEW CONSENSUS, A NEW PARADM,IG WE ALL SUFFERED, ALL SOCIAL CLASSES SUFFERED, WE REALIDZE THAT LACK OF POWER IS BEING IN ANOTHER TIME AND PLACE WHICH IS UNTENABL IE,T COSTS THOUSANDS OF LIVES. >> THESE PANELS AT AN EXPERIMEALNT SOLAR FARM IN SALINAS HAVE THE CAPACITY TO CREATE ELECTRICITY FOR UP TO 2,00HOME0 >> SO DO YOU FEEL POWER, NEVER AGAIN, IS POWER GOING BE TOAN ISSUE FOR YOU? >> WE ARE PREPAREDOR F EVERYTHING. WE ARE READY. IF A HURRICANE COME AGAIN, WE ARE READY. WE HAVE GOD. AND GOD IS GOOD. AND YOU HAVE SOLAR P.ER >> JAVIER RUA-JOVET, WHOOU Y JUST SAW IN OUR STORY, IS NOW THE CHIEF POLICY OFFICER FOR THE SOLAR ENERGY AND STOGERA ASSOCIATION. HE TELLS US ABOUT 11-HUNDR NEWED CUSTOMERS ARE CONVERTINGO T SOLAR EVERY MONTH. THOUGH THE LARGE-SCALE SAROL FARMS ARE NOT SEEING SIMILAR GROWTH. LIKETH OER SOLAR ADVOCATES, JOVET IS CONCERNED THAT USGIN FEMA’S FUNDS TO FIX THE P