INSIGHTSSERIES
Power & Utilities | Smart Grid
November 2, 2026
Puerto Rico’s Power and Water Crises Expose Persistent Infrastructure Vulnerabilities
Recurring power outages and water disruptions highlight the need for a proactive approach to infrastructure investment, stronger utility oversight, and long-term resilience planning.
Nearly a decade after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, the island continues to struggle with unreliable electricity and recurring water service interruptions, despite…Read the full report
Key Takeaways
- Puerto Rico continues to face delays in grid recovery, with a Government Accountability Office report finding that $10.7 billion of the $14.3 billion in federal funds obligated since 2017 remained undisbursed.
- Repeated disasters have slowed Puerto Rico’s grid recovery, while increasingly frequent power outages threaten water services that depend on reliable electricity.
- In October, residential electricity rates were nearly 85 percent higher than the mainland U.S. average, while LNG delivery disruptions added an estimated $32 million in diesel-generation costs between mid-September and mid-October.
