“This project represents much more than energy infrastructure; it is a resilience tool for our communities,” said Shirley Montalvo, community coordinator at the Cooperativa Hidroeléctrica de la Montaña. “During extended power outages, these businesses and community centers sustain daily life.”
By NimB Staff
Bravo Family Foundation has committed about $2.3 million in financing to the Cooperativa Hidroeléctrica de la Montaña to support the development of 10 Community Energy Resilience Centers in Puerto Rico’s Central Mountain Region.
The financing will support the installation of community microgrids intended to maintain essential services during extended power outages. Project plans call for 875 kilowatts of solar generation capacity and 1.85 megawatt-hours of battery storage, distributed across 10 microgrids serving clusters of essential service providers, including medical clinics, pharmacies, supermarkets, bakeries and community centers.
“This project represents much more than energy infrastructure; it is a resilience tool for our communities,” said Shirley Montalvo, community coordinator at the Cooperativa Hidroeléctrica de la Montaña. “During extended power outages, these businesses and community centers sustain daily life.”
The investment is part of a broader $5.8 million initiative led by the cooperative that includes funding from federal and local recovery programs. The project is being implemented through the cooperative’s ReEnFoCo program, which focuses on deploying solar-and-storage microgrids designed to operate independently when the main power grid fails, particularly during natural disasters.
Blanca Santos, chief executive officer of the Bravo Family Foundation, said the financing reflects the foundation’s focus on long-term philanthropic investments.
“The initiative’s goal is to support nonprofit organizations and communities in Puerto Rico by partnering with entities that have a proven track record of service and community impact,” Santos said.
José Massol, chairman of the Cooperativa Hidroeléctrica de la Montaña, said the foundation’s participation enabled the project to move forward.
“The support from Bravo Family Foundation helped close a critical gap and made this project possible, strengthening the cooperative model and demonstrating that organized communities can lead sustainable energy solutions,” Massol said.
The ReEnFoCo model has previously been implemented in communities such as Castañer, where microgrids maintained electric service before, during and after Hurricane Fiona in 2022. The new phase of the project will extend the program to four municipalities in the Central Mountain Region.