The island state’s electric grid is completely shot due to extreme weather
Puerto Rico was hit by Hurricane Maria last week after it had previously been affected by Irma and in their wake the island state was left without power, with its electrical grid in tatters due to flash flooding and high winds. Now as it tries to piece everything back together, Tesla has stepped in and is reportedly sending over “hundreds of battery packs” to aid in the reconstruction effort – apparently over 80 percent of all homes on the island were affected during the storms.
According to Bloomberg, the packs (Powerwalls which can be hooked up to solar panels to make renewable solar energy) are sorely needed to restart life on the island which even over a week after the hurricane hit was still without power. And since a full restoration of current throughout the island and to its 3.5-million inhabitants is still months away, these packs will help electrify areas which could otherwise have not received power.
Tesla employees are on the ground in Puerto Rico to help install battery packs and repair solar panels https://t.co/sdRmjvXmz6 pic.twitter.com/loA1hXzfFB
— Pete Quily (@pqpolitics) 2 octombrie 2017
Tesla even reportedly sent its own employees to Puerto Rico to help with installing the batteries. Their first task is to re-electrify hospitals and other essential facilities before moving on to anything else.