Vieques Solar Project
Project Overview
Vieques is an island off the coast of Puerto Rico that is home to approximately 8,000 residents. Much of its infrastructure for electricity and potable water from the mainland was damaged by Hurricane Maria in 2017, leading to regular brownouts and blackouts. Residents rely on community centers and resiliency hubs, such as those provided by Vieques Conservation and Historical Trust (VCHT), when access to main systems is unreliable.
This project aims to expand the existing solar power system to meet critical energy needs for the facility. The enhanced system will support air conditioning for classroom use, enable nighttime electricity access that is currently unavailable due to insufficient capacity, and maintain continuous operation of essential equipment including classroom computers, two medicine-storage refrigerators, communication radios to the main island, and an ice machine. The current solar array will be upgraded to reliably meet these expanded demands and ensure uninterrupted access to power for both educational activities and critical community resources.
Current Status
The team completed the first site visit in August 2025. They are currently working on the engineering design reports with a target to implement in Early 2026!
Assessment Trip 2025
We went on their first assessment trip in August 2025 and finally met our Puerto Rican counterparts in-person! We visited the project site to take measurements and had productive discussions to begin our engineering design. Other highlights include canoeing on the Bioluminescent Bay, scuba diving, and touring the historic district of San Juan. Scroll through the pics below to see more!
Come to one of our bake sales!
The Vieques team has created a tradition of hosting bake sales around Austin to raise funds for the project! It’s been such a rewarding experience—we get to share our love of baking while connecting with people and telling them about the work we’re doing in Vieques. Our next bake sale is on Saturday, December 20th, 2025!
We’ve made peanut butter dog treats, lemon poppyseed cookies, horchata, and pumpkin tres leches, just to name a few. Check out some photos below!
Getting Involved
The team meets in-person in Austin, TX about twice a month.
We’re always looking for new members! If you want to get involved, please email vieques@ewbgreateraustin.org.