Tesla says its working 24/7 on battery and solar installations in Puerto Rico amid an islandwide blackout.
Tweets from the company and CEO Elon Musk say there are currently 1,000 Tesla batteries on the ground in Puerto Rico delivering power at 662 locations. The team is working to activate “several hundred” more.
We currently have over 1,000 Tesla batteries on the ground in Puerto Rico delivering power at 662 locations. We’re working around the clock to quickly build more projects to support the island pic.twitter.com/5gl4JDYdV5
— Tesla (@Tesla) April 19, 2018
Tesla batteries are currently live & delivering power at 662 locations in Puerto Rico. Team is working 24/7 to activate several hundred more. https://t.co/OMu8qKJvLy
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 18, 2018
The blackout comes seven months after Hurricane Maria destroyed the island’s electrical grid. The cause reportedly originated from a bulldozer destroying a power line that impacted the entire electrical system and generating plants. It’s expected to take a few days to repair.
When Category 4 Hurricane Maria left nearly 3.5 million residents without power, Tesla started shipping hundreds of its Powerwall 2 battery units and solar panels to help bring electricity back.
Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello expressed interest in Tesla helping the country repair its damaged grid and Musk has sold the Tesla Energy products as highly scalable. However, the cost of such a project may be out of reach for the island.
Still, Tesla seems to be working hard during the island’s time of need to install products that will bring power back to homes and critical facilities.