Unidos por Utuado
People watching as water is collected from a tube running down the side of a hill

Vision

Unidos por Utuado empowers residents of the communities in the Cordillera Central, the mountain range in the center of the island of Puerto Rico, so that they can become more resilient before natural disasters, utilizing their own resources in order to strengthen and revitalize their communities.

Unidos por Utuado volunteer discussing plans with a municipal police officer

Mission

Unidos por Utuado promotes the organic capacity of communities to accelerate recuperation after a natural disaster, promoting the regional economic development, increasing available resources and developing alternatives to strengthen the resilience of the central region.

Team of volunteers unloading a truck on the side of the road

Purpose

Unidos por Utuado improves the resilience and empowerment of the communities of the Cordillera Central, utilizing an economic development model, which in turn serves as a social justice tool where residents become agents of change, and in that way, improving citizen participation in processes that impact their communities.

Plan of Action

Unidos por Utuado is working on a project focused on stabilizing the land around the reservoirs and strengthening their structure. This effort seeks to mitigate landslides and reduce sedimentation in the reservoirs.

In addition, the organization is developing a business accelerator and incubator to foster a healthy entrepreneurial ecosystem in central Puerto Rico. Support centers will be created for future entrepreneurs, providing tools for the successful development of their ideas. These centers will offer training to merchants to improve their economy using modern technology and will help merchants and entrepreneurs establish stable businesses that are adaptable to the changing environment.

As part of its action plan, Unidos por Utuado also seeks to promote projects that benefit the women of Utuado and adjacent towns. These projects will be aimed at their social and economic empowerment, providing sustainability to single mothers and working on the self-esteem of this sector of the community.

Volunteer standing on a rooftop next to an installed photovoltaic panel

Partners

The following organizations provided consulting, resources, and support to advance the projects of Unidos por Utuado.

You can support the effort to transform Puerto Rico's energy grid to renewable energy, contributing Unido por Utuado's effort through the Resilient Energy Project. Unido por Utuado is a 501(c)3 organization. We help resident to better their energy resiliency through education and bringing assistence in the formation of projects that strengthen the community. Contributions to Unidos por Utuado are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.

Projects

Cooperativa Hidroeléctrica de la Montaña

Cooperativa Hidroelectrica de la Montaña logo

Following Hurricane Maria and the recovery phase, Unidos por Utuado identified the need to create initiatives that would boost the economic development and energy resilience of the affected communities. Together with volunteers, they shared ideas, studied and developed the first electric power cooperative in Puerto Rico: the Cooperativa Hidroeléctrica de la Montaña. This project's mission is to provide resilient and cost-effective energy from renewable sources through the reactivation of the hydroelectric plants located in Dos Bocas and Caonillas and the implementation of resilience through photovoltaic energy to the municipalities of Adjuntas, Jayuya, Lares, Maricao and Utuado.

Cooperativa Hidroeléctrica de la Montaña is currently focused on 3 main projects: Hidroenergía Renace, ReEnFoCo and Microrred de la Montaña. For more information on these projects, please see the Cooperativa Hidroeléctrica de la Montaña website.

You can learn more about Cooperativa Hidroeléctrica de la Montaña here.

Education

Unidos por Utuado is dedicated to strengthening communities through the training and education of their residents. Our focus is on enriching the knowledge and skills of community members by fostering a collaborative exchange of skills.

We educate residents of the disadvantaged communities of Adjuntas, Jayuya, Lares, Maricao and Utuado about the benefits of community solar energy, its requirements and financing opportunities. Through this exchange of knowledge, residents are offered the opportunity to apply for lasting, well-paying jobs, as studies confirm that these communities have a high unemployment rate due to lack of knowledge and opportunities.

We advise residents and small business owners in these communities on the importance of achieving affordable and reliable electric power services, including potential cost savings.

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