‘We want sun’: the battle for solar power in Puerto Rico

Many people suffered following power cuts in the aftermath of two hurricanes, but advocates say solar power will withstand future disasters

Rosalina Marrero spends the best part of each day ironing and watching telenovelas at her modest bungalow in Puerto Rico's coastal Guayama province. When it gets too hot or her asthma plays up due to the toxic coal ash from the nearby power plant, the 78-year-old widow rests on an adjustable hospital bed, clicks on the fan and thanks God for the solar panels on her roof.

Earlier this year, Marrero was among two dozen residents in a low-income, predominantly Black neighbourhood blighted by coal pollution, fitted with a rooftop solar and storage system. Campaigners say systems like hers should be rolled out more widely to tackle the island's energy crisis and the global climate emergency - both of which are exacerbating racialized health inequalities.