From the NYTimes: Rethinking Electric Power, Prompted by Politics and Disaster. An excerpt from the article:
Researchers’ heads have danced with visions of self-sufficient microgrids and solar-harnessed battery systems as they dream of giving Puerto Rico a new power system that is cleaner and less carbon-intensive than the fossil-fuel-dependent one the storm wrecked. The island is becoming an important proving ground for ideas about how low-carbon energy can be practical, both technically and financially.
Update: On a related topic, here is a 63 page document from the European Union. Power grid recovery after natural hazard impact
Recovery Diva 
Great to see academia turn its talents to helping these communities. But I have to admit I have some doubts about the sustainability of some of these “solutions.”