High electricity costs have troubled Puerto Ricans for years, but the proposed solution from the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) has raised concerns among citizens and environmental groups.

The $450 million Via Verde project calls for a 92-mile natural gas pipeline carrying natural gas from the island’s main plant in the south to other plants in the north. The plan is part of Puerto Rico’s goal to reduce its current dependency on oil, which is responsible for 68 percent of the island’s current power generation, and rely instead on a combination of natural gas and renewable energy sources. The Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration (PRFAA) predicts that Via Verde will lead to a 30