US announces $440 million to install solar panels on low-income homes in Puerto Rico

By DÁNICA COTO
Associated Press

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The U.S. Department of Energy says it will disburse $440 million to install solar panels on low-income homes in Puerto Rico as the U.S. territory struggles with ongoing power outages and a crumbling electric grid. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said Thursday that the department has selected a group of nonprofits and solar companies for the project that will target up to 40,000 homes. Eligible households would be located in impoverished communities that experience frequent power outages or have a person with a disability that depends on power, such as a dialysis patient.