The Microgrid of the Mountain project (in Spanish, Microrred de la Montaña) will be the first intermunicipal microgrid in Puerto Rico and combines the generation of hydroelectric plants and photovoltaic systems to power new 38-kilovolt lines between the towns of Adjuntas, Jayuya, Lares and Utuado. The goal of the Microgrid of the Mountain is to better serve the energy needs of the peoples of the Cordillera Central with cost-effective and resilient electric power from renewable sources by providing residents with greater energy resilience to natural disasters. This project is the best opportunity to offer residents of Adjuntas, Jayuya, Lares and Utuado cost-effective and resilient energy services from renewable sources.

Residents of the Cordillera Central can be in control of their electric power service and decision-making regarding the electricity they consume. Under a cooperative model, the Microrred de la Montaña is the ideal project to ensure that the generation and distribution of the electricity that our neighbors consume is under our local control.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Microgrid of the Mountain project?

The Microgrid of the Mountain (Microrred de la Montaña, in Spanish) project is the first intermunicipal microgrid in Puerto Rico and will combine hydroelectric plant generation and photovoltaic systems to feed new 38-kilovolt lines between the towns of Adjuntas, Jayuya, Lares and Utuado. The goal of the Microrred de la Montaña project is to better serve the energy needs of the people in the Cordillera Central with cost-effective electric power from renewable sources with greater energy resilience in the face of natural disasters.

What is a microgrid?

A microgrid consists of distributed energy sources (including hydroelectric plants, photovoltaic systems and energy storage systems) and interconnected loads that are integrated into a single, controllable system that can operate in parallel with the electricity grid or in isolated mode from the electricity grid. This dual capability or mode of operation adds resilience to the electrical system.

What are the benefits of this microgrid?

By combining the generation of electricity from hydropower and photovoltaic energy we can enjoy cost-effective, clean energy from renewable sources. In addition, the Microrred de la Montaña will have its own distribution lines of 38-kilovolts to improve and streamline the electrical service in the villages of Adjuntas, Jayuya, Lares and Utuado.

How will the Owners-Members of the Cooperativa Hidroeléctrica de la Montaña benefit from the Microgrid of the Mountain?

The Owners-Members of the Cooperativa Hidroeléctrica de la Montaña will benefit from cost-effective and resilient energy generated from renewable sources. This energy provided by the Microgrid of the Mountain will reduce voltage fluctuations and improve the stability of electrical service for residents.

What is the current status of the Microgrid of the Mountain project?

On September 26, 2021, the Cooperativa Hidroeléctrica de la Montaña presented the Microgrid of the Mountain project to the mayors of Adjuntas, Jayuya, Lares and Utuado in a meeting sponsored by the mayor of Jayuya. In the second week of October 2021, the mayors of Adjuntas, Jayuya and Lares endorsed a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate with the cooperative. Students from the University of Puerto Rico — led by Dr. Leonel Orama — supported the Microgrid of the Mountain project with a study and basic designs for new 38-kilovolt lines between the four municipalities to connect them to new substations at the hydroelectric plants. The Cooperativa Hidroeléctrica de la Montaña is waiting for the Puerto Rico Energy Bureau to issue the Request for Proposal for Renewable Energy and Virtual Generation Plants (VPP) Projects to submit a proposal in line with the vision of the Microgrid of the Mountain.

Will the electricity generation of the Microgrid of the Mountain be 100% renewable energy?

Yes. The Microgrid of the Mountain project will be the first intermunicipal microgrid that combines the generation of hydroelectric plants and photovoltaic systems to power new 38 kilovolt lines with 100% of the generation of energy from renewable sources.

Will the Microgrid of the Mountain generate and distribute enough electricity for the residents of the Cordillera Central?

The electricity generation of the Microrred de la Montaña will be the combination of the ReEnFoCo project that will generate at its maximum capacity of 20 megawatts of distributed generation and the Hidroenergía Renace project that will generate 50 megawatts at its maximum capacity after the renovation and modernization of the hydroelectric plants.

How will the cooperative get the funds to make this Microgrid possible?

The Cooperativa Hidroeléctrica de la Montaña may access funding from the Puerto Rico Community Development Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Relief program (CDBG-DR) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

What is a Virtual Power Plant?

A Virtual Power Plant (VPP) is a system that integrates several distributed sources of electrical generation where the control of the equipment as a whole can function as if it were a plant to provide a reliable supply of electrical power. The remote and synchronized control of the various distributed sources is an important concept in the development of a Virtual Power Plant.

How will the surplus electricity produced by renewable sources be used?

Regulation 9351 (Regulation of the Wheeling of Electric Power) allows the surplus electricity produced by the Microgrid of the Mountain to be sold to private companies or to the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority and this will help the Cooperativa Hidroeléctrica de la Montaña fulfill its economic obligations while improving the services offered to its Owners-Partners.

In the event of a natural disaster, who will be in charge of raising the lines and restoring electric service?

The Cooperativa Hidroeléctrica de la Montaña will be responsible for maintaining and lifting the lines and restoring electric service for any line the cooperative installs or lifts. The cooperative envisions coordinating with and supporting any corporation or entity that has the responsibility of maintaining the power lines in its service area. Essentially, the fact that the lines do not belong to the Cooperativa Hidroeléctrica de la Montaña does not mean that the cooperative will stand idly by. The cooperative will have a plan on how to preserve and restore electric service as soon as possible. That is one of the advantages of having an electric power cooperative, that is, residents will have within their community the experts focused on the energy resilience of their community. Another advantage of having an electric power cooperative is that through the cooperative movement the Cooperativa Hidroeléctrica de la Montaña can request assistance from the more than 900 electric cooperatives in the United States to accelerate the restoration of electric power service.

Who will bill for the electric service?

The Cooperativa Hidroeléctrica de la Montaña will be in charge of the billing and collection of the electricity service.

Who will be in charge of the Operations and Maintenance of the Microgrid of the Mountain?

The Cooperativa Hidroeléctrica de la Montaña will be responsible for the operations and maintenance of the Microgrid of the Mountain.

What relationship will the Cooperativa Hidroeléctrica de la Montaña have with LUMA Energy related to the Microgrid of the Mountain?

The Cooperativa Hidroeléctrica de la Montaña plans on negotiating the use of the electric distribution lines within its service area to facilitate the transshipment of electrical energy and to ensure the good maintenance of the lines in the service area, including the proper management of the vegetation that is one of the primary causes of breakdown in the service area.