WSHPDR_2013_Final_Report-updated_version

Cibuco-Guajataca
Culebrinas-
Guanajibo
Eastern Puerto Rico
Southern Puerto Rico
Figure 2 Map of hydrological units in Puerto Rico
Source: Adaquino, Zaida, Carlos Figueroa-Álamo and Senén Guzmán-Ríos 4
Table 2
Estimated micro hydropower capacity in Puerto Rico
(Kilowatts)
Hydrologic Unit
Available capacity
21010002, Cibuco-Guajataca 1 067
21010003, Culebrinas-Guanajibo 101
21010004, Southern Puerto Rico 766
21010005, Eastern Puerto Rico 1 148
Total 3 082
Note that hydrologic units 21010002 and 21010005,
corresponding to the north and draining
approximately 67 per cent of superficial water, have
the highest micro hydropower potential. The total
micro hydropower potential of all hydrologic units is
approximately 3.1 MW, a small amount since it is 3 per
cent of the total installed hydropower capacity and
less than 0.1 per cent of total installed capacity. This is
the first methodological estimate of micro hydropower
potential, and this is a conservative estimate for such
potential for electric power generation in Puerto Rico
(figure 3).
SHP installed capacity
SHP potential
41.80 MW
44.88 MW
0 10 20 30 40 50
Figure 3 Small hydropower capacities in Puerto Rico
Source: Puerto Rico Electric Authority 3 and Caribbean
Water Science Center 5
Renewable energy policy
The first and only Energy Public Policy of Puerto Rico
was created via an Executive Order of then Governor
Roselló in 1993. 6 It stated that the existing 99 per cent
dependence on imported oil was unacceptable as it
created a severe economic vulnerability for the Island
and proposed the development of alternative and
renewable energy sources (excluding nuclear energy)
and to foster a more efficient, less vulnerable and
environmentally sustainable energy usage in Puerto
Rico. The Energy Public Policy presented goals for 5-,
12- and 20-years and focused on electricity, solid
waste disposal, transportation, construction,
education, research and governmental energy
consumption. 7
The U.S. Energy Policy Acts (EPAct) of 2005 reinforced
federal programmes on energy efficiency and
renewable energy. It also mandated regulating
authorities and unregulated utilities (such as the
Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority) to consider
distributed generation and adoption of IEEE standard
1547, and net metering. Those entities declining
adoption of these measures had to provide valid
reasons. It was through EPAct 2005 that PREPA acted
and approved interconnection of distributed
generation, and net metering by August 2008. PREPA
defined restrictions that make distributed generation
interconnection a cumbersome process. By the end of
2011, there were about 6 MW of distributed
generation in Puerto Rico, most of it PV systems. 8
Notes
i. This work is based in part on the final report of a
project sponsored by the Puerto Rico Energy Affairs
Administration under contract 2008-132009.
ii. The orographic is the effect caused by rainfall due to
the forced or sudden lifting of an air mass over a
mountain. This happens on the windward side of a
mountain.
References
1. Central Intelligence Agency (2012). The World
Factbook. Available from
www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook.
2. Find the Data (2012). San Juan, Puerto Rico Average
Rainfall. Available from http://average-rainfallcities.findthedata.org/l/272/San-Juan.
Accessed
December 2012.
3. Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (2011). Thirty
Seventh Annual Report on the Electric Property of the
Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority. San Juan.
Available from
www.aeepr.com/INVESTORS/DOCS/Financial%20Infor
mation/Annual%20Reports/Annual%20Report%20Am
ended%20URS%202011.pdf.
4. Adaquino, Zaida, Carlos Figueroa-Álamo and Senén
153