The disaster that Hurricane Maria visited on Puerto Rico, as terrible as it is, offers us the opportunity to create a model of sustainability. The question is, will we take that opportunity or simply recreate a system that is not sustainable.

In a recent Op-Ed, Richard Branson and Amory Lovins offered an idea that I have been taking about to many. Instead of rebuilding an archaic fossil fuel power system that can be destroyed by storms, is expensive to maintain, causes a financial drain on the island’s economy and leaves its residents at risk due to the whims of an indifferent administration, we can spend the money that must be spent on developing a resilient renewable energy infrastructure.

This infrastructure should be a combination of solar and wind powered systems where every home has some relationship and tie in to that structure. Either independently…solar on each home, or a combination of that and more centralized wind systems where they are feasible. In addition, the use of micrograms should be strongly considered…especially where wind is the source.

I have not done the full cost, but I would propose that it may well be less expensive when life cycle analyzed to build this decentralized system than to try and use the current model.

We should not squander this opportunity.

Read the full article:
How to Keep the Lights On After a Hurricane
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