WASHINGTON, D.C. – The US Department of Energy is redirecting hundreds of millions in dollars from Puerto Rico’s Energy Resilience Fund. The administration said they will use these funds to help support practical fixes and emergencies for the grid but the island’s congressional Resident Commissioner believes it’s he administrations way of backing out of solar energy.
“I would like to see the remainder used for what it is intended,” said Resident Commissioner Pablo Jose Hernandez (D- Puerto Rico).
Resident Commissioner Hernandez along with some US Senators, sent a letter to Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright outlining their concerns about the Department redirecting 365-million dollars from Puerto Rico’s Energy Resilience Fund. It’s a billion-dollar program that uses renewable energy and storage solutions, especially for vulnerable homes and communities.
“This fund was helping people get solar panels and helping health centers help develop energy resiliency with solar panels,” said the Resident Commissioner.
The DOE states they are using that money to support practical fixes and emergency activities that offer a faster, more impactful solution to the current energy crisis. The Resident Commissioner said that money was still pending obligation or disbursement.
For years Puerto Rico has suffered power instability and blackouts. The Secretary said this strategic shift allows us to address the root causes of the grid’s instability, strengthening the grid’s fragile infrastructure and delivering lasting relief for Puerto Rico.
These congressional members said the long-term recovery process of Puerto Rico’s electric grid has been marked by significant challenges and are concerned that redirecting these funds would restart the allocation process, delay resources to vulnerable populations, and the justification to reallocate funds seems to disregard congressional intent.
“This fund was helping people get solar panels and helping health centers help develop energy resiliency with solar panels and by reallocating the remainder 365-million they’re hurting vulnerable communities,” said the Resident Commissioner. “Also, 365-million is gonna be a drop in the bucket of the over ten-billion that we have outstanding in federal funds for the reconstruction. So, it feels like it’s vague, it’s general, it’s improvising. What they really seek to do is just take that money away from solar.
Puerto Rico’s Governor Jenniffer Gonzalez adds that the island is facing an energy emergency ad deploying these funds for urgent projects that improve the resiliency and reliability of our grid will have widespread, lasting benefits for all 3.2 million Americans in Puerto Rico.
