‘ISLA International: Three Worcester grads work to bring clean energy to the Caribbean and the world’

College of the Holy Cross alumnus Federico Sotomayor ’10, was featured in MassLive as co-founder of the Worcester-based startup, ISLA International. Sotomayor has partnered with two other Worcester natives to create ISLA, which is committed to bringing clean energy and water to countries around the world.

Realizing that climate change is one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century, Sotomayor was determined “to be part of the solution.” Sotomayor says, “In studying climate change, I realized that it is the islands that are going to be hit the worst, and would benefit most from clean energy.”

MassLive reports that Sotomayor and his co-founders believe that many of the challenges that face the Caribbean Islands, including drought and high oil prices, could be solved through “micro-solutions” that are based on clean energy sources. The trio has many ideas for creating clean energy solutions; they include harnessing solar, wind, ocean thermal, and bio-digestion energy.

ISLA International has started the process of securing land in the Caribbean for their “energy farms.” MassLive reports that the company will begin on the “resource-scarce islands” Isla de Culebra and Isla de Vieques, small islands off the eastern coast of Puerto Rico. Their first step is to create “the clean energy infrastructure that will help catalyze a regional transition towards more sustainable forms of generating electricity,” says Sotomayor. Sotomayor and his business partners project that this will increase economic development on the islands, by providing more jobs and increasing eco-tourism.

Sotomayor was born in Puerto Rico and moved to Worcester as a child, he earned his bachelor’s degree in sociology with a peace and conflict studies concentration from Holy Cross. He attributes his desire to create clean energy infrastructure to his education at the College. Sotomayor explains that his internships with the Donelan Office of Community-Based Learning for a few of his classes at Holy Cross allowed him the opportunity to work with marginalized and under-served communities.” His studies in critical social theory and classes with Professor Mary Hobgood strongly influenced Sotomayor’s desire “to advocate on behalf of those who need it most.”

Read the full article on MassLive.

This “Holy Cross in the News” item by Sarah Barrett ’18.