Bringing Reliable, Renewable Energy to the People of Puerto Rico
Courtesy of RMI.
By Max Lainfiesta, Nathaniel Buescher, & Michael Liebman
Income inequality is palpable on the streets of the United States in cities and towns alike. On one block you may have neighborhoods with maintained roads and sidewalks, well-funded schools, and easy access to services including grocery stores, transit, healthcare, and banks. And on the next block you may have neighborhoods in transit or food deserts with vulnerable key infrastructure including streets, schools, and healthcare.
This checkerboard-like phenomenon becomes ever more apparent after a disaster, as communities with less resources wait, often literally in the dark, while construction crews and vehicles go first to the areas with more.
This was especially visible in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, which struck four years ago on September 20, when communities endured the longest power outage in US history. Public aid for many lower- and middle-income communities was both insufficient and slow. That is why RMI and partners* formed the Puerto Rico Community Energy Resilience Initiative (CERI).
CERI’s goal is to advance access to reliable and renewable energy for critical facilities in low-to-moderate income communities using solar plus storage microgrids. Under a broader definition of critical facility, examples include hospitals and fire stations, local life-sustaining businesses, and non-profits providing essential services following disasters.
The CERI team spent a year working on pilot projects, community engagement, and financing vehicle development. In the end, the team found that a community-driven process combined with flexible capital and technical assistance is the most effective way to help achieve energy resilience for those whose needs are not served in the current market.
The CERI team on site at one of the critical facilities: Farmacia Jomari in rural Puerto Rico. During power outages after Hurricane Maria, the pharmacy provided critical health & financial services to local community members.
Putting All Communities in the Driver’s Seat
CERI puts Puerto Rican communities that received limited aid after disasters in the driver’s seat. The team does this by first listening to community stakeholders and then addressing their energy resilience needs by preparing and de-risking the project. CERI then uses a blend of capital from financial institutions and philanthropic organizations to advance access to reliable and renewable energy.
Currently, the CERI team is installing four pilot projects at critical facilities: two nonprofit organizations and two local businesses, with systems averaging approximately 63 kW of solar and 30 kWh of storage. The pilot projects highlight the importance of community ownership of systems, flexibility in designing a project’s financing, and timing for engaging different stakeholders.
When microgrid projects are locally owned, community members autonomously create their energy goals while simultaneously bolstering local economies and jobs. Facility leaders can determine which equipment and operations must continue during an outage based on their own experiences. This bottom-up involvement shifts accountability from external programs to the community itself.
Flexible Financing Adapts to Community Needs
It is crucial to have financing models that are scalable yet able to flex to individual project constraints. The CERI team will soon launch a financing vehicle which will provide critical facilities throughout the island with concessionary capital and technical assistance needed to simultaneously make systems more affordable and make financing viable.
Operationally, this equates to a lower interest rate and a shorter term on the loan used to pay for the facility’s microgrid. This grant funding contributes to the system’s down payment and to the creation of a loan loss reserve for financial institutions to allow facilities with varying credit histories to access competitive interest rates.
The CERI team’s initial vision was to award a project with an amount of grant funding so that the microgrid’s estimated monthly costs over a 10-year period would be less than the facility’s average monthly energy bill. Monthly costs include loan payments, maintenance, insurance costs, and fixed fees to the utility.
Although some facility staff prioritized the lower monthly energy costs, other facility managers were willing to pay more to reduce their loan term. Such scenarios highlighted the need for the CERI team to work with financial institutions to offer flexibility in the loan’s terms and/or payment options that do not penalize early payments.
Syncing Timelines of Multiple Stakeholders
From a timeline perspective, as the CERI team scales up, the team will ensure to use an inclusive and fair process for project recruitment and selection. This includes engaging with all types of communities (rural and urban, for example) and maintaining transparency with interested facilities.
Once projects are selected, CERI team members will be diligent to engage all the project’s stakeholders early in the project development process and use a competitive process whenever possible to find savings for the participating organizations. Such stakeholders include local financial institutions, local microgrid developers, and critical facility staff. These stakeholders have varying amounts of staff available to focus on a specific microgrid project and differing due diligence and review processes.
For example, financial institutions assess the facility’s financial history, developers build systems based on the facility staff’s requirements, and the facility staff decide whether to take a loan depending on costs and loan terms. If not lined up properly, these timelines translate into time-consuming due diligence processes and rounds of negotiation that can lead to delays in a project.
The Right System for Each Individual Need
Facilities have greatly varying needs differing on the types of electricity services, electricity rates, and on how and when they use energy. Therefore, technical assistance on energy modeling, system sizing, energy efficiency analysis, and procurement support is key to ensure that each facility has the right system and best price for its specific needs.
For example, a therapy and rehabilitation center may use power mainly during weekdays while a supermarket may require a steady energy supply 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. In the event of a prolonged power outage, facilities have very different critical load needs — while some facilities may be able to operate with 25 percent of the usual energy supply, others may require 50 percent or more. Time of use and critical load size have significant implications when designing battery size.
There are also physical constraints that affect project design. Some facilities may have a structurally sound roof that has enough space to accommodate the system, while others may not have enough roof space or may need significant repairs to accommodate a solar system. And some facilities may need ground-mounted systems that increase the system costs (ground mounted systems of this size are often more expensive than roof mounted systems based on the additional construction needed).
In most cases, facility owners and or administrators lack the experience and background needed to know if the system is right for their needs, if the price is appropriate given the market, or if the equipment meets the local requirements. With technical assistance, facilities can get the right system at the right price, and are likely to share their positive experiences with colleagues. This will lead to grassroots scaling of renewable energy in communities in Puerto Rico and beyond.
The Importance of Capacity Building
Maintenance is key to the sustainability of these systems. Building the capacity to check the system, use pre-contracted O&M and warranties, replace parts as needed, and ensure continuous safety and system operation is essential. Through a CERI-specific capacity building plan, facility owners and administrators gain the knowledge required to understand the technical aspects, financials, and overall implications of acquiring and maintaining a solar-plus-storage microgrid.
What’s Next for CERI?
The CERI team is preparing a transition to a next phase of demonstration projects across Puerto Rico. This work will set the stage for the full implementation of a scaled-up financing vehicle where hundreds of facilities will benefit from affordable and resilient solar-plus-storage microgrids.
These microgrids will provide stable energy prices, savings from day one, the ability to continue providing essential services in the event of an emergency, environmental benefits, and ultimately, community resilience and wellness. They will enable all community members to receive critical services such as health care, food, water, and communication when needed most.
If you are interested in learning more, please contact us at CERI@rmi.org.
* CERI was founded by The Rockefeller Foundation; RMI; Fundación Comunitaria de Puerto Rico; The Puerto Rico Science, Technology, and Research Trust; the Association of Renewable Energy Consultants and Contractors for Puerto Rico; and Resilient Power Puerto Rico.
Featured photo by Wei Zeng on Unsplash
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Environment
Tesla confirms it has given up on its Cybertruck range extender to achieve promised range
Tesla has confirmed it has given up on plans to make a Cybertruck range extender to achieve the range it originally promised on the electric pickup truck.
It started refunding deposits for the $16,000 extra battery pack.
When Tesla unveiled the production version of the Cybertruck in late 2023, two main disappointments were the price and the range.
The tri-motor version, the most popular in reservation tallies before production, was supposed to have over 500 miles of range and start at $70,000.
Tesla now sells the tri-motor Cybertruck for $100,000 and only has a range of 320 miles.
The dual-motor Cybertruck was supposed to cost $50,000 and have over 300 miles of range. In reality, it starts at $80,000 and has 325 miles of range.
However, Tesla had devised a solution to bring the range closer to what it originally announced: a separate battery pack that sits in the truck’s bed. Tesla called it a “range extender.” It costs $16,000 and takes up a third of the Cybertruck’s bed.
Even though the Cybertruck has been in production for a year and a half, the range extender has yet to launch.
Initially, Tesla said that it would come “early 2025”, but we reported in October 2024 that it was pushed to “mid-2025” late last year.
At the time, Tesla also reduced the range that the removable battery pack adds to the Cybertruck to “445+ miles” rather than “470+ miles” for the dual motor – a ~25-mile reduction in range.
Last month, Electrek reported that Tesla has quietly removed the range extender from the Cybertruck online configurator, where buyers could reserve it with a “$2,000 non-refundable deposit.”
At the time, we speculated that Tesla was most likely giving up on the product.
Sure enough, the automaker has now confirmed that it doesn’t plan to produce the range extender.
A Tesla Cybertruck owner contacted Electrek to share communication that Tesla started sending to Cybertruck owners who reserved the range extender, letting them know that the product is dead.
Tesla wrote in the email:
“We are no longer planning to sell the Range Extender for Cybertruck.”
The automaker says that it will start processing refunds for the deposits.
Here’s Tesla’s communication about the Cybertruck range extender in full:
Update to Your Cybertruck Range Extender Order
Hi [redacted],
Thank you for being a Cybertruck owner.
We are no longer planning to sell the Range Extender for Cybertruck. As a result, we will be refunding your deposit in full. The amount will be returned to the original payment method used for the transaction.
Thank you for your understanding.
The Tesla Team
Electrek’s Take
There could be many reasons why Tesla has given up on the product.
The range extender was confirmed to take 30% of the Cybertruck’s bed, and Tesla needed to install and remove it at a service center. Owners couldn’t remove them themselves. I think it was pretty much dead on arrival at $16,000.
But I think it could also be as simple as it’s not worth producing due to demand – both due to insufficient people reserving it and not enough Cybertruck buyers to create a market for the range extender.
Therefore, the range extender is dead for the same reason that the Cybertruck RWD now has the same battery pack as the AWD instead of a smaller pack for less money: the Cybertruck is a commercial flop, and it’s not a high-volume program enough to justify making several battery pack sizes, including a removable one.
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The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USTPO) has denied Tesla’s attempt to trademark the term “Robotaxi”. which it has been using to refer to its long-promised self-driving vehicles.
CEO Elon Musk has been using the term “robotaxi” for years.
At first, it was to refer to what its existing consumer vehicles (Model S, X, 3, Y and Cybertruck) would become once it finally delivers on its “full self-driving” promises– something that was supposed to happen by the end of every year for the last 6 years.
However, Tesla held its ‘We, Robot’ event in October 2024, where it unveiled two new vehicles, a dedicated robotaxi vehicle and a self-driving ‘Robovan’ – pictured above.
Musk referred to the dedicated robotaxi vehicle as both a ‘Robotaxi’ and ‘Cybercab’.
Shortly after the event, we reported that Tesla filed trademarks for both terms, as well as ‘Robobus’ and ‘Robovan’.
Now, Techcrunch reports that USTPO has denied Tesla’s trademark application for being too generic:
Tesla’s attempt to trademark the term “Robotaxi” in reference to its vehicles has been refused by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for being too generic, according to a new filing. Another application by Tesla to trademark the term “Robotaxi” for its upcoming ride-hailing service is still under examination by the office.
USTPO notes that other companies and media have used the term ‘robotaxi” to refer to other self-driving vehicles.
The decision is “non-final”. Tesla can still appeal the decision.
Tesla also saw its trademark application for ‘Cybercab’ halted as USTPO reviews other applications using the term ‘cyber’.
Electrek’s Take
I don’t think Tesla should get a trademark for ‘Robotaxi’. It’s indeed too generic. ‘Cybercab’ should be fine though. If Tesla was able to get Cybertruck, it should be able to get ‘Cybercab’.
I hope the Cybercab works out better for them than the Cybertruck has so far.
But it’s tough to make a steering wheel-less vehicle works if you haven’t solved self-driving.
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California and 16 other states have sued the government for illegally withholding $5 billion in funds that Congress earmarked for EV charging, calling the action “another trump gift to China.”
The federal NEVI (National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure) program was established by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), otherwise known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, pushed for and signed by President Joe Biden.
Among other things, the IIJA dedicated $5 billion in funding to expanding EV chargers, in order to give more Americans access to EV ownership, and allow them to unlock the fuel cost and health savings that EV owners, and communities with high EV penetration, enjoy.
Since then, every state has submitted a plan and that money has gotten assigned to projects around the country in various levels of completion, with several charging stations already open.
The NEVI program was even the main driver of Tesla opening up its charging port and creating the NACS standard, due to the law’s requirement that federal funding can only go to charging stations that have open access to multiple brands of vehicle. Tesla’s Superchargers used to be open only to Teslas, but after this law passed, Tesla started opening them up to other brands.
And wide adoption of the NACS standard by the industry promises to fix a lot of the problems with EV charging.
So, NEVI is a great program, and it’s helping Americans to save on fuel and maintenance costs, reducing barriers to charging, and making the world cleaner for everyone who breathes air.
So of course, the enemy of America currently occupying the White House (despite there being a clear Constitutional remedy for this crisis) opposes it.
In February, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), at the behest of convicted felon Donald Trump, froze funding for the NEVI program, even though that funding was already allocated by Congress for this purpose. Who knew a felon would break the law?
Now, states are pushing back against the illegal funding freeze, as 17 states, led by California, Colorado and Washington, are suing the FHWA to free up the funds that were allocated to them.
California Governor Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta laid out their argument today in a press release by the California Governor’s office.
Among those arguments is something we’ve mentioned many times here on Electrek: that republican efforts to diminish the US EV industry are a “gift to China,” who have well and truly taken the lead in the global EV industry, and other countries – particularly the US – are just not doing enough to keep up.
When America retreats, China wins.
President Trump’s illegal action withholding funds for electric vehicle infrastructure is yet another Trump gift to China – ceding American innovation and killing thousands of jobs.
Instead of hawking Teslas on the White House lawn, President Trump could actually help Elon – and the nation – by following the law and releasing this bipartisan funding.
-California Governor Gavin Newsom
Another of President Biden’s laws, the Inflation Reduction Act, was an effort to increase investment in the EV industry in the US – and did so while also lowering the deficit. It worked extremely well, leading to hundreds of billions in investment and hundreds of thousands of jobs in American EV manufacturing. Certainly much more effective than the unwise tariffs that both President Biden and Mr. Trump have supported.
However, as one might expect from an enemy of America, Mr. Trump has opposed that law as well. After he begged the oil industry for a billion-dollar bribe to harm EVs during his presidential campaign (where he also repeatedly promised to raise inflation for Americans), his republican party now thinks they have the votes to inflate the price of EVs by $7,500.
Oddly, despite Mr. Trump’s clear opposition to the well-being of Americans, and particularly to the well-being of the American auto industry, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, perhaps America’s most high-profile auto CEO, donated hundreds of millions of dollars to this anti-EV candidate. He has used tortured logic to claim that raising the price of his products by $7,500 relative to the competition won’t hurt his business, but that’s just wrong.
As Governor Newsom points out in his quote above, this situation seems puzzling. While Mr. Trump did improperly utilize government property to create a bizarre ad for his largest political donor, his policy proposals so far – which Musk claims he “loves” – have generally been directed towards harming Tesla and other EVs. The money from the NEVI program could go a long way towards filling the gaps in EV charger buildout around the country, making Teslas more usable for Americans who don’t live in areas where chargers are easy to come by.
Pausing that funding not only puts charger plans into chaos (something Musk is no stranger to), it also means that Tesla can’t use money that it created an entire charging standard just to get a piece of.
The lawsuit requests that a court stop Mr. Trump’s illegal actions and permanently halt the FHWA from withholding these funds.
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