The plant, owned by the utility giant AES, has long plagued this part of Puerto Rico with air and water pollution. Between 1990 and 2000—before the coal plant opened—Guayama had on average just over 103 cancer cases per year. In 2003, the year after the plant opened, the number of cancer cases in the municipality surged by 50%, to 167. A study by University of Puerto Rico researchers found cancer, heart disease, and respiratory illnesses on the rise in the area. That the billions of dollars Congress designated for fixing the island’s infrastructure would have made solar panels ubiquitous.