$365M slated for solar projects in Puerto Rico will be diverted to power grid, sparking outcry

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- The U.S. Department of Energy announced Wednesday that $365 cardinal primitively slated for star projects successful Puerto Rico volition beryllium diverted to amended the island’s crumbling powerfulness grid, sparking an outcry conscionable days earlier the Atlantic hurricane play starts.

The funds had been hanging successful limbo successful caller weeks, with the Department of Energy missing a caller deadline to finalize contracts worthy $365 cardinal that would spot battery-operated star systems installed astatine wellness clinics and nationalist lodging units successful Puerto Rico.

The wealth had been acceptable speech for that intent nether the medication of erstwhile U.S. President Joe Biden.

“That wealth was outpouring loaded to travel now,” said Javier Rúa Jovet, nationalist argumentation manager for Puerto Rico’s Solar and Energy Storage Association.

Grantees that see the nonprofit Hispanic Federation had said the funds were urgently needed to supply unchangeable powerfulness to radical including those connected dialysis arsenic major outages proceed to deed Puerto Rico.

The Department of Energy said successful a connection that the wealth would present beryllium utilized “to enactment technologies that amended strategy flexibility and response, powerfulness travel and control, constituent strength, proviso security, and safety.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Energy told The Associated Press that the wealth would utilized for things including upgrading aging infrastructure, clearing vegetation from transmission lines and dispatching baseload procreation units. The section said it has last authorization implicit however the funds volition beryllium used, adding that the star projects were not scheduled to beryllium constructed until 2026.

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said successful a connection that redirecting the funds would guarantee that “taxpayer dollars are utilized to fortify entree to affordable, reliable and unafraid power, benefiting much citizens arsenic rapidly arsenic possible.”

Meanwhile, Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González praised the determination successful a statement, saying it would assistance each 3.2 cardinal residents connected the land alternatively of “a fewer customers.”

“Puerto Rico is facing an vigor exigency that requires we enactment present and present contiguous solutions. Our communities, businesses, and healthcare facilities cannot spend to hold years, nor tin we trust connected piecemeal approaches with constricted results,” she said.

González previously came nether fire arsenic her enactment for investing $1 cardinal of national funds successful star projects crossed Puerto Rico appeared to fade.

A spokeswoman for the politician did not instantly respond to a petition for further remark and details.

A spokeswoman for Josué Colón, the island’s alleged vigor czar, did not instantly respond to a petition for comment.

Rúa Jovet noted that determination are presently astatine slightest $16 cardinal successful unspent funds from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency meant to amended Puerto Rico’s electrical grid, adding that the $365 cardinal should beryllium utilized for its archetypal purpose.

“There is thing faster and amended than star batteries,” helium said. “We should each beryllium moving arsenic accelerated arsenic we tin connected generation.”

Officials successful Puerto Rico already person warned that determination volition beryllium a shortage of procreation this summer. In addition, the Atlantic hurricane play starts June 1, and it is predicted to beryllium supra average, with 9 anticipated hurricanes, 4 of them major.

Many successful Puerto Rico interest that immoderate storm, careless of however small, could sound retired the grid fixed its fragile state.

Puerto Rico already was deed with island-wide blackouts connected Dec. 31 and April 16.

The diversion of funds travel arsenic González criticizes the enactment of Luma Energy, which oversees transmission and organisation of powerfulness connected the island, and Genera PR, which oversees generation.

The 2 backstage companies were contracted by the erstwhile medication arsenic Puerto Rico’s Electric Power Authority struggled to restructure much than $9 cardinal successful nationalist debt, with mediation inactive stalled.

Under Biden, determination was a propulsion for much renewable vigor projects successful Puerto Rico, wherever crews are inactive rebuild the powerfulness grid aft Hurricane Maria deed successful September 2017 arsenic a almighty Category 4 storm. But the grid was already anemic earlier the tempest deed fixed a deficiency of attraction and concern for decades.

Rúa Jovet said the Department of Energy’s determination is an ideological 1 supported by the medication of U.S. President Donald Trump.

“Elections person consequences,” helium said.

Of the $1 cardinal allocated for star projects successful Puerto Rico nether Biden, $450 cardinal already has been granted to instal star rooftop and batteries successful thousands of homes located successful agrarian areas oregon whose occupants person aesculapian needs.

Overall, astir 117,000 homes and businesses connected the land presently person star rooftops.

More than 60% of vigor successful Puerto Rico is generated by petroleum-fired powerfulness plants, 24% by earthy gas, 8% by ember and 7% by renewables, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.