Oct 6, 2017, 7:05pm ET

Tesla in talks to help fix Puerto Rico's destroyed power grid

Elon Musk says the Tesla team has already helped smaller islands turn to solar and battery systems, \"but there is no scalability limit.\"

Tesla is apparently in talks with Puerto Rico officials to help fix the island's extensively destroyed power grid.

Responding to a Twitter post asking about the potential for Tesla's solar and battery systems to help restore electricity after Hurricane Maria, CEO Elon Musk on Thursday said the company has already helped smaller islands switch to solar.

"But there is no scalability limit, so it can be done for Puerto Rico too," he added. "Such a decision would be in the hands of the PR govt, PUC, any commercial stakeholders and, most importantly, the people of PR."

The comment did not go unnoticed, eliciting a response of "let's talk" from Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello.

"Do you want to show the world the power and scalability of your #TeslaTechnologies?" the governor asked. "PR could be that flagship project."

Musk today announced that the Tesla Semi unveil has been pushed back yet again, bumping from late October to November 16.

"Diverting resources to fix Model 3 bottlenecks & increase battery production for Puerto Rico & other affected areas," the executive explained. "Semi specs are better than anything I've seen reported so far. Semi eng/design team work is aces, but other needs are greater right now."

Some analysts raised concerns over Tesla's acquisition of SolarCity, arguing that an expansion into a tangentially related market could become a risky distraction as the company attempts to ramp up Model 3 production. The extremely ambitious plan has already stumbled in the first few months, with just 260 units completed in the third quarter.