Puerto Rico’s dependency on imported oil and its carbon emissions will be notably reduced when a 20,000 panel solar park is completed at the end of this year. The solar park, the largest of its kind in Latin America will be located in Ponce, Puerto Rico and use funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to implement and create 70 new jobs.
The solar park will generate 9 million kilowatt-hours of electricity for approximately 1,500 island families. All of this will bode well for the island that currently imports 20,000 barrels of oil annually and uses imported fossil fuels for its electricity. The island’s government is in the early stages of offering renewable energy options for its residents with the end goal of reducing air population, hydrocarbons and oil dependency.
