The Existential Static Podcast

Lights Out, Power Up. Puerto Rico’s Energy Crisis and the Fight for Control.

Kawfee Cowboy Season 1 Episode 11

Complain here.

In this episode of Existential Static, we dig deep into Puerto Rico’s ongoing power crisis and the people who are taking the light back.

We unpack the decades long neglect of the island’s electrical grid, the devastation of Hurricane María, and the highly controversial privatization under LUMA Energy. From rising bills to deadly blackouts, Puerto Ricans are paying the price for corporate mismanagement, political silence, and systemic abandonment.

But this isn’t just a story of collapse. It’s a story of resistance.

We explore how communities across the island from grassroots collectives to solar pioneers like Casa Pueblo are bypassing the broken system and building something of their own. Microgrids, solar brigades, mutual aid. The people are making power where there is none.

This episode isn’t about disaster. It’s about defiance.
 Because Puerto Rico doesn’t need saving, it needs sovereignty.

letssharethesun.org

gridalternatives.org/about

hispanicfederation.org/

Topics covered:

  • LUMA Energy and the failure of privatization
  • The lasting impact of Hurricane María
  • Energy inequality and systemic neglect
  • The Jones Act and economic strain
  • Grassroots solar initiatives and energy justice
  • Community empowerment and future resilience

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.