On October 12–13, 2023, the UPR Mayagüez academic community and partners from government, industry, and nonprofit organizations gathered to speak clearly about Puerto Rico’s energy present and future. This summary brings together the most important points from both days, with links to the full-day livestreams, key takeaways, and practical resources for students, instructors, and communities.

On Day 1, we examined how Puerto Rico’s energy transformation is not a single project but a portfolio of changes happening at the same time: modernizing transmission and distribution, expanding renewable generation, designing fair rates and incentives, and preparing communities for emergencies. The first day of the 1st IEEE PES UPRM WPR Symposium set the stage by explaining why these changes are necessary and how different stakeholders can collaborate. The discussions connected technical modeling (for example PR100 scenarios and assumptions) to real community outcomes (shorter outages, safer shelters, lower bills over time, and cleaner air). Speakers emphasized that planning choices made today will shape grid stability and social equity for decades.

On Day 2, the agenda focused on social and community experiences in the energy transformation, interconnection steps, stability with high renewable penetration, operational technology (OT) security, practical rollout of EV charging and Puerto Rico’s energy targets in the long-term. The message was consistent: disciplined processes, good engineering practices, and community involvement reduce risk and build public trust. When all stakeholders work together and set clear targets, projects move faster and perform better.

Dates & Location: October 12–13, 2023 · 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. · Figueroa Chapel Amphitheater, UPR Mayagüez

Official links:

What was it about?

The symposium offered a comprehensive view of Puerto Rico’s power and energy transformation. Speakers discussed PR100 (a U.S. DOE study with scenarios to modernize the grid), resilience for communities and critical facilities, energy justice to ensure access and benefits reach everyone, and the technical steps to safely integrate renewables. The program also covered cybersecurity for energy systems and the challenges and opportunities of electric mobility.

Key Topics

  • PR100: data-driven pathways to increase renewables with reliability and reasonable costs.
  • Community Energy & Resilience: microgrids, critical loads (clinics, water, shelters), maintenance, and logistics.
  • Energy Justice: equitable access to reliable, affordable power; clear and inclusive communication.
  • T&D Modernization: stability with high solar penetration, safe operation, faster restoration time.
  • Grid‑Forming Inverters: voltage/frequency references and support stability when the grid is weak or islanded, relevance for islanded operation and black‑start support.
  • Cybersecurity (OT/ICS): asset inventory, network segmentation, secure access, incident response.
  • Electric Mobility: planning charging stations, reliability, safety, and user experience.

Most Important Points for Students

  • Understanding why and how grid planning happens (PR100) helps connect classroom theory with real decisions.
  • Resilience is not only technology—organization, communication, and community education matter.
  • Energy justice guides policies and projects so no one is left behind.
  • In operations, details matter: interconnection, protection settings, testing, and maintenance.
  • Clear career paths exist: power systems, power electronics, OT cybersecurity, EV infrastructure, and many more.

Expected Impact & Outcomes

  • Stronger collaboration among universities, government, industry, and communities on concrete projects.
  • Better use of scenarios and prioritization criteria (reliability, resilience, equity).
  • Higher demand for student internships and projects in modeling, outreach, and pilot evaluations.
  • Clearer educational resources for communities (guides, checklists, bilingual materials).

Contribution & Partnership Acknowledgments

We acknowledge the organizing teams and partners who made this historic symposium possible, and we encourage students, faculty, and community leaders to continue collaborating through campus labs, IEEE PES UPRM activities, and community forums. Sustained dialogue across all sectors is essential to translate technical advances into everyday benefits for Puerto Rico.

CoHemis Event:
Live Stream Day 1
Live Stream Day 2
PLV Segment