Electrificación is a photography series that explores the everyday realities of life in Puerto Rico amid a failing electrical grid and deteriorating infrastructure, conditions worsened by repeated storms and unresolved damage. Instead of focusing on the dramatic aftermath of hurricanes and tropical storms, the work captures the quieter, ongoing effects of these disruptions through images of landscapes, architecture, power systems, and the spaces people inhabit.

The situation reflects a complex web of tourism, natural beauty, political instability, blackouts, climate change, colonialism, and local resilience. Energy companies, formerly PREPA and now the Canadian company LUMA, understandably face deep mistrust due to mismanagement and unreliable service. My partner joined an energy company hoping to help Puerto Rico with updates to their existing power distribution systems, but encountered systemic roadblocks. The broader dysfunction hurting change is characterized by a disconnect between the corporate sector and the US government. Recovery is also slowed by material shortages, unrealistic micromanagement, and the ongoing challenge of maintaining overgrown lines. Although some progress has been made, the damage from hurricanes Maria (2017) and Fiona (2022) remains largely unresolved in relation to reliable power. Full renewable electrification is not expected until 2050. Some communities have started their own initiatives.

The images in Electrificación are interpretive rather than journalistic, exploring the small adjustments, developments and workarounds, and moments in-between storms with a fragile system. Additionally, this series investigates sites of power and electrification that suggest limitations in some cases as well as potential alternatives moving forward. By capturing these ordinary yet significant scenes, Electrificación reflects on the ways life continues in the face of an American system that doesn’t fully support Puerto Rico.

While centered on Puerto Rico, my series also speaks more broadly to global challenges. The archipelago stands at the front lines of climate change, illustrating the vulnerability of infrastructure at a time when FEMA is being defunded, storm tracking cut, clean energy incentives reduced, and extreme weather intensifies.