Stansbury Presses Utility Executives on Grid Failures, Clean Energy Transition in Puerto Rico
Congresswoman Stansbury highlighted successful legislation she championed to modernize New Mexico’s energy grid as a model during a House Natural Resources Committee hearing
WASHINGTON—Four years after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, the island still experiences electric utility failures and periodic blackouts while burning toxic coal. Today, U.S. Representative Melanie Stansbury (N.M.-01), pressed the Board Chairman of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) on the utility’s decision to slow infrastructure plans for the island’s clean energy transition.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria and the privatization of the energy transmission and distribution system with LUMA Energy, Puerto Ricans are paying twice as much for electricity while experiencing frequent blackouts. Meanwhile, just 2.5 percent of the island’s electricity is generated by renewable sources. The Puerto Rico Energy Public Policy Act, signed into law in May 2019, mandates that PREPA obtain 40% of its electricity from renewable resources by 2025.
“The people of New Mexico’s First Congressional District stand united with the people of Puerto Rico in demanding energy justice and grid modernization and the social, economic, and environmental imperative of doing so.” Rep. Stansbury said in her opening statement.
VIDEO: Rep. Stansbury Pushes Utility Executives for Clean Energy in Puerto Rico
Rep. Stansbury pressed Fernando Gil, PREPA’s Board Chairman, on the utility’s decision to reject pre-planned renewable energy projects. “What... can be done and what is needed to bring... renewables online and transition the grid to more stable and resilient power system and how the federal government... can help and support?”
Gil responded by noting the utility is beginning several repairs to its renewable energy sources to comply with the Puerto Rico Energy Public Policy Act.
Congresswoman Stansbury, one of the newest members of the House Committee on Natural Resources, recently introduced the bipartisan Partnerships for Energy Security and Innovation Act, a bill that would facilitate the commercialization of grid modernization technologies developed by publicly-funded research laboratories.
Congresswoman Stansbury also introduced and championed a bipartisan comprehensive grid modernization package in the New Mexico state legislature to pave the way for the state’s transition to renewable energy.