Empowering Culebra

We are excited to announce that we have received the go-ahead from the main funder ofEmpowering Culebra Economic Ecosystemproject, and we look forward to completing it by the end of 2024.The goal is to facilitate access to solar and battery systems for 24 businesses and non-profit organizations on the island of Culebra. Each participant will receive a resilient solar power system that saves money on electricity and helps maintain normal business hours during power system failures. 

14 businesses and nonprofit organizations that originally signed contracts to participate in the program remain committed. We are in conversation with 20 others interested in joining. Our local collaborators are helping us to spread the word that the installations are getting started and that we will accept new businesses and nonprofits into the program. 

Our installation contractor, selected by an independent evaluation of submitted proposals, is procuring the equipment and verifying that the sites are ready to receive the systems. Also, we recently met with staff from the municipal government to inspect the site they are providing where we can store the equipment to build the solar systems. 

In September, our contractor will build a security fence and ship the containers from the main island to Culebra on the public ferry. The quantity of equipment will make this a logistical challenge due to the high demand for use of the ferry and the narrowness of the streets on the island; fortunately, the municipality and the police department are ready to assist in the endeavor. 

Likewise, eight residents of Culebra recently completed a technical training course to learn how to install and maintain solar and battery systems. These eight have been invited to participate in a business incubator that will result in the creation of a company to operate and maintain the systems once installed. 

We are extremely grateful for the support received by so many donors within the GlobalGiving platform and abroad.