SUN Program Director named to Forbes Sustainability Leaders List
- Solar United Neighbors
We’re excited to announce that Solar United Neighbors’ Puerto Rico Senior Program Director, David Ortiz, has been named to the Forbes Sustainability Leaders list. This award honors his commitment to protecting his community during Hurricane Maria and to increasing the island’s resiliency in the wake of a natural disaster. Ortiz’s dedication to sustainability is driven not only by his experience during the hurricane, but also by his daughter and stepson.
“I want to leave them a world better than the one I received,” Ortiz said. “I want my people to know that I did everything in my power to bring them opportunities to be more resilient, more resourced, more able to save lives, and more empowered to bring about change.”
In September 2017, Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico, devastating communities and taking around 4,000 lives. This was a pivotal moment for Ortiz, who, with 30 years of organizing experience, says nothing can prepare you for devastation like that of Hurricane Maria. “Community organizers aren’t trained to be first responders; you learn to be a first responder in the moment,” Ortiz said. Alongside hundreds of volunteers, Ortiz worked to gather and distribute 12,500 solar-powered lanterns throughout the island. Not only did the lanterns provide light to communities that had completely lost power, the lanterns also featured a radio and ports to charge phones, allowing the community to stay connected with their loved ones. In addition to the lanterns, the volunteers distributed 50,000 pounds of food and clothing to vulnerable communities. Ortiz says that he and his community were the first to respond to the devastation, mobilizing before the government and FEMA arrived.
After this experience, Ortiz became dedicated to promoting a solar transition to bolster community resilience in the face of natural disasters. Three years ago, Ortiz joined Solar United Neighbors and works to raise awareness about how going solar can strengthen Puerto Rico’s resilience. With his team, Ortiz has worked to educate hundreds of families on the benefits of going solar, and many of these families now have systems that provide energy during blackouts, which can be a daily occurrence on the island.
In partnership with local churches and community centers, Ortiz helped to establish two resiliency hubs in Cataño and Guaynabo. Resilience hubs provide life-saving resources when the power goes out. The resilience hubs are powered by solar panels, backed up with battery storage. Residents can go to them in the event of a disaster. Access to electricity is not merely a comfort issue. For people who are medically vulnerable, it can be life-saving as it allows people to power medical devices and refrigerate medications. While every resiliency hub varies, they offer other life-saving resources such as shelter, food, and water.
Through our sister organization, SUN Action, Ortiz played a key role in supporting the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, a landmark bill that provides affordable solar systems to around 17,500 people in vulnerable communities on the island. Ortiz and SUN advocated for the bill by meeting with Congress members and sending a letter of support to Congress, which was signed by 50 local businesses, church leaders, and community groups within 48 hours.
Ortiz also fought to protect the rights of solar consumers through efforts to preserve essential energy initiatives, like net metering. Net metering is a credit solar owners earn for the energy they provide to the grid.
In addition to being nominated as a leader in sustainability, Ortiz has the honor of speaking at the Sustainability Leaders Summit. Watch Ortiz talk about his experience in sustainability and resilience at 2:15 ET on September 22.
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