Casa Pueblo
Democracy and sovereignty in Puerto Rico depends on breaking the archipelago’s dependence on the US for energy. That is where Casa Pueblo has stepped in, as it builds an alternative energy infrastructure in order to build a free and sovereign Puerto Rico.
Casa Pueblo is a community-based organization and cultural center focused on the protection and management of natural resources. It began in 1980 to stop a mining operation, but has shifted into advancing sustainable development – especially energy independence.
In the 1990s, Casa Pueblo succeeded in stopping a massive gold mining project on 36,000 acres of socially and ecologically important land, creating a new protected forest managed by the people themselves. After Hurricane Maria, it played a critical role in disaster response – especially energy issues – and has since continued these efforts. It has developed a microgrid to collectively generate and distribute the energy needed for urban businesses in Adjuntas, Puerto Rico where Casa Pueblo is based. To date, it has helped dozens of stores, restaurants, and other buildings, including homes, shift to run on autonomous, community-owned and controlled solar energy.
Puerto Rico is at a critical moment when the energy future of the country is being decided. Under the slogan “the right to energy for all!” Casa Pueblo is helping ensure that the country moves away from the colonial model of dependency on fossil fuels and towards energy sovereignty.
