Solar was poised to help Puerto Ricans survive blackouts — until Trump axed nearly $1B in funding

Solar was poised to help Puerto Ricans survive blackouts — until Trump axed nearly $1B in funding

María Pérez lost power for about three months after Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico in September 2017. Her home in Salinas, on the island’s southern coast, sits near a river. As the hurricane knocked out the island’s grid and sent rainwaters surging down from the mountains, Perez’s house flooded with a swirling mix of muddy water and animal feces, rising 3 feet high and warping the hallways. For the next three months, she went without power a…