The U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE) announced it will redirect $365 million in solar + storage funding to address Puerto Rico’s grid resiliency using other unspecified technologies. The funding, allocated through the Puerto Rico Resilience Fund (PR-ERF), will be deployed to support “practical fixes and emergency activities” that offer a “faster, more impactful” solution to the current crisis, benefiting critical facilities like hospitals and community centers.
Today’s announcement follows U.S. Sec. of Energy Chris Wright’s decision to issue two emergency orders for Puerto Rico just weeks after the most recent island-wide blackout.
“Puerto Rico is facing an energy emergency that requires we act now and deliver immediate solutions. Our communities, businesses, and healthcare facilities cannot afford to wait years, nor can we rely on piecemeal approaches with limited results. Rather than impacting a few customers, 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,” said Puerto Rico Governor Jenniffer González-Colón. “Since day one, President Trump and Secretary Wright have made it a priority to ensure we implement comprehensive solutions to address Puerto Rico’s energy challenges. I look forward to continuing working with them on these efforts.”
This $365 million funding was initially awarded by the Biden administration in December 2024 to support rooftop solar and battery storage installations slated to begin construction in 2026. Today, DOE said it is reprioritizing these awards and will redirect funding to support technologies that improve system flexibility and response, power flow and control, component strength, supply security, and safety.
DOE is working in close coordination with Puerto Rico Governor Jenniffer González-Colón, Energy Czar Josué A. Colón-Ortiz, Puerto Rico’s energy industry and key community leaders and stakeholders to ensure maximum effectiveness of DOE resiliency funds.
News item from DOE
