Six months after Hurricanes Irma and Maria, thousands of people in Puerto Rico do not yet have access to electricity. It has been a struggle for many families and businesses to keep their spirits up, rebuild, and in some cases, to simply survive.
With more than 90 percent of Puerto Rico’s power now restored, utility workers are tackling the so-called “last mile” of repairs to the island’s electric grid. It is painstaking work, as they navigate hilly terrain in Puerto Rico’s remote inland areas.
Crews from the mainland are assisting the effort. That includes dozens of crews from ComEd and its Exelon sister utilities, who left their homes and families and traveled more than 2,000 miles to help the people of Puerto Rico get the power back on. The first set of teams recently returned from a monthlong deployment, just as a new group of crews headed down to replace them.
The experience is touching the hearts of Puerto Rico residents and ComEd workers alike. To hear one crew leader’s story, watch the video above.
