Situation Report

Figure 1. Average estimated annual residential rooftop PV market capacity potential from 2017 – 2030 (Source: NREL)

sepapower.org - by Jeffrey Cook - August 16, 2018

If the solar industry reaches this Department of Energy (DOE) target, it could dramatically alter the energy market and present a future where residential PV becomes a standard, cost-effective home installation, versus a luxury or long-term investment. A recent NREL report — Cost-Reduction Roadmap for Residential Solar Photovoltaics (PV), 2017-2030 — models a set of pathways that the industry could follow to realize this future. The analysis focuses on two key markets for residential PV cost reduction: installing PV at time of roof replacement and installing PV at time of new construction. These two market segments were selected because each offers significant cost reduction opportunities while representing a 30 gigawatt (GW) annual market nationwide (see Figure 1).

Ben Bostick, from Columbia University, and a Cuny intern, Alondra Cruz Portillo, test water collected in the northern town of Arecibo, Puerto Rico. Photograph: Angel Valentin for the Guardian

CLICK HERE - Small Water Systems in Puerto Rico Badly Affected by Maria

CLICK HERE - Government of Puerto Rico - Desirability and Convenience Study - Optimizing PRASA’s Metering Infrastructure and Customer Service Experience - March 2018 (93 page .PDF report)

Ten months after Maria hit water quality still seems inconsistent, and local residents aren’t taking any chances

Stalled cars and rescue vehicles on a flooded section of Interstate 610 in Houston on Aug. 27.  ALYSSA SCHUKAR

CLICK HERE - BiPartisan Budget Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-123) - Long Term Disaster Recovery Investment Plan - Construction Account - As of July 5, 2018 (2 page .PDF file)

bizjournals.com - by Olivia Pulsinelli - July 6, 2018

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced July 5 how it will allocate billions of dollars for more flood-mitigation efforts. 

Of the allocations announced July 5, the largest portion is more than $13.9 billion for the construction of nearly 60 projects to reduce damage from floods and storms across multiple states and Puerto Rico.

(CLICK HERE - READ COMPLETE ARTICLE)

Orange County, Texas - see page 11 in the 75 page report within the link below.  It describes the proposed construction for the levee in Orange County and includes a map showing the placement of the proposed levee.

submitted by Diane Tucker

A tree toppled by Hurricane Maria rests over damaged graves in the Villa Palmeras cemetery in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in December 2017.  Mario Tama/Getty Images

CLICK HERE - STUDY - NEJM - Mortality in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria

npr.org - by Richard Harris - May 29, 2018

Perhaps 5,000 people died in Puerto Rico in 2017 for reasons related to September's Hurricane Maria, according to a study that dismisses the official death toll of 64 as "a substantial underestimate."

A research team led by scientists at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health didn't simply attempt to count dead bodies in the wake of the powerful storm. Instead, they surveyed randomly chosen households and asked the occupants about their experiences.

From that approach, they concluded that between Sept. 20 and Dec. 31, 2017, there were 4,645 "excess deaths" — that is, deaths that would not have occurred if the island hadn't been plunged into a prolonged disaster following the devastating storm.