Energy Secretary Chris Wright is invoking emergency powers to empower Puerto Rico to boost fossil fuel power generation in the wake of a recent island-wide blackout and ahead of the summer, the Washington Free Beacon has learned.
Wright issued two orders Friday afternoon: The first directs the government-owned Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority to increase electric power production on the island to maintain grid reliability while the second orders the agency to immediately clear overgrown vegetation that presents risk of shortages and fire. Both orders invoked emergency powers conferred on the energy secretary under the Federal Power Act.
In addition, as part of the announcement, the Department of Energy’s Grid Deployment Office will conduct a review of $365 million in funding the Biden administration granted to third party organizations and companies in December to develop new solar power installations across the island.
Wright’s actions Friday represent an abrupt recalibration of how the federal government will address Puerto Rico’s ongoing power generation crisis, shifting from a focus on boosting green energy like solar power to expanding existing fossil fuel infrastructure. And it comes just a month after after Puerto Rico suffered a devastating blackout that impacted 1.4 million residents and left hundreds of thousands without water, the Associated Press reported.
That blackout was the second of its kind in less than four months on the island and underscored the power supply issues Puerto Rico has faced for the better part of a decade. Both blackouts are particularly alarming considering they occurred outside of the peak summer demand season.
“Access to energy is essential for all modern life, yet the current energy emergency jeopardizes Puerto Ricans’ access to basic necessities,” Wright said in a statement. “This system is unsustainable, and our fellow citizens should not be forced to suffer the constant instability and dangerous consequences of an unreliable power grid.”
“With President Trump’s leadership, we are prioritizing immediate and comprehensive actions that will mitigate the greatest threats to the grid and benefit a vastly larger portion of the population, including critical facilities like hospitals and community centers,” he continued.
The Department of Energy said Wright’s actions were taken in coordination with the Puerto Rican energy industry and power experts from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The actions received support from Puerto Rico’s governor Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon (R.) and energy czar Josue Colon-Ortiz.
“I thank President Trump and Secretary Wright for their leadership and commitment to address once and for all Puerto Rico’s energy emergency,” said Gonzalez-Colon. “This administration clearly understands the urgency of the crisis and is utilizing available, existing emergency authorities to put words into action.”
“With today’s [emergency] orders, we will have the necessary flexibilities to begin stabilizing our power grid infrastructure and ensure an affordable, secure, and reliable supply of energy for all of Puerto Rico’s 3.2 million Americans,” she added. “Energy is essential for both the well-being of our citizens and the island’s economic development, particularly as we seek to attract investment and support the Administration’s reshoring initiatives. I look forward to continuing our partnership, because when Puerto Rico thrives, America thrives.”
Overall, about 93 percent of Puerto Rico’s electric power is generated by fossil fuels—petroleum-fired plants provide 62 percent, natural gas-fired plants provide 24 percent, and coal-fired plants provide 8 percent, according to federal data. Just 7 percent of the island’s power is generated by green energy sources, including solar energy, wind energy, hydropower, and biomass.
Earlier this year, as a result of Puerto Rico’s grid stability crisis and lagging green energy development, Gonzalez-Colon moved to scrap the island’s climate mandate that would have forced it to generate 40 percent of its power from green sources.
The Biden administration, meanwhile, sought to support Puerto Rico’s push to expand green energy with the $1 billion Puerto Rico Energy Resilience Fund. The fund, which is now being audited by the Trump administration, was designed to mitigate Puerto Rico’s grid vulnerabilities via the installation of tens of thousands of rooftop solar and battery storage systems across the island, but has failed to produce as promised, the Free Beacon previously reported.
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