{"id":33945,"date":"2026-06-30T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-30T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ecoticias.com\/en\/?p=33945"},"modified":"2026-06-30T12:50:12","modified_gmt":"2026-06-30T17:50:12","slug":"puerto-rico-had-a-1-billion-federal-fund-to-install-solar-panels-and-batteries-in-vulnerable-households-but-now-much-of-that-money-is-being-diverted-to-the-old-power-grid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ecoticias.com\/en\/puerto-rico-had-a-1-billion-federal-fund-to-install-solar-panels-and-batteries-in-vulnerable-households-but-now-much-of-that-money-is-being-diverted-to-the-old-power-grid\/33945\/","title":{"rendered":"Puerto Rico had a $1 billion federal fund to install solar panels and batteries in vulnerable households, but now much of that money is being diverted to the old power grid"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A federal energy program<\/a> meant to put rooftop solar panels and backup batteries on vulnerable homes in Puerto Rico has taken a sharp turn. Instead of focusing mainly on low-income households, medically vulnerable residents, and community health facilities, a large share of the money is now being redirected toward the island\u2019s fragile centralized grid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The shift matters because power outages<\/a> in Puerto Rico are not a rare inconvenience. They are part of daily life, from spoiled food in the fridge to medical devices that suddenly need a generator. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Internal documents<\/a> obtained through public records show the Department of Energy knew the decision could trigger criticism and be viewed as \u201cundue favoritism\u201d toward the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority<\/a>, known as PREPA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A solar promise changed course<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Congress approved the $1 billion Puerto Rico Energy Resilience Fund in 2022 after years of hurricanes, blackouts, and grid failures left residents exposed. The original idea was simple enough to understand. Put solar panels and batteries<\/a> where power failure can become dangerous fast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under the Biden administration, the Department of Energy planned to support about 40,000 low-income Puerto Ricans, including people with health conditions that require reliable electricity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Rooftop
A community rooftop solar installation in Puerto Rico reflects the kind of local energy resilience projects originally prioritized for vulnerable residents.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The DOE\u2019s own program page says the fund was launched to improve reliability and reduce the energy burden of vulnerable residents after natural disasters and decades of grid underinvestment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the Trump administration has moved the program in a different direction. DOE now says it is redirecting money toward systemwide repairs<\/a> that can stabilize the grid for all 3.2 million people in Puerto Rico, rather than helping a smaller number of homes at the \u201cedge of a failing system.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why PREPA is at the center<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The biggest flashpoint is PREPA, the bankrupt public utility that owns Puerto Rico\u2019s electric grid. According to DOE\u2019s Q&A, the agency has redirected a $368.7 million federal grant to PREPA, with $3.7 million in local cost share, for near-term reliability work carried out by LUMA and Genera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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That cost share is one of the most controversial details. For large grant recipients, agencies often expect a major local contribution, and the internal records described in the source material say DOE accepted just 1% from PREPA instead of the standard 50%. That is a very big gap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DOE argues that PREPA remains under severe fiscal strain and that requiring a 50% match would delay urgent grid repairs. A DOE spokesperson said a noncompetitive, sole-source award to PREPA was justified because the fund\u2019s goals required working through the entity responsible for critical generation and transmission infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pipeline question<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The part raising the loudest alarms is a fuel project between San Juan and Palo Seco. DOE\u2019s public Q&A refers to it as \u201cfuel supply security between San Juan and Palo Seco,\u201d but internal documents cited by Grist<\/em> say $50 million is intended for a new natural gas pipeline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That route is not far on a map. The distance between the two power stations is about 8.7 miles, after converting the roughly 14 km cited in local reporting. Still, the political distance is much bigger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More than 40 Democratic lawmakers<\/a> have questioned whether the shift locks Puerto Rico into more imported methane gas instead of the local solar power Congress originally prioritized. In their letter, they warned that DOE\u2019s \u201clack of transparency,\u201d possible disregard for congressional intent, and cancellation of solar contracts raised serious questions about the use of the resilience fund.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blackouts are the real backdrop<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For residents, this debate is not abstract policy. It is the electric bill, the generator fuel, the noise outside the window, and the worry that the lights will fail again during sticky summer heat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The U.S. Energy Information Administration<\/a> reported that Puerto Rico customers experienced about 27 hours of power interruptions per year between 2021 and 2024, even without counting major events such as hurricanes. In 2024, when major events were included, customers went without power for more than 73 hours on average.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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That is why both sides can claim urgency. DOE says grid repairs will benefit more people faster. Critics say rooftop solar and batteries are precisely what vulnerable households need when the larger grid goes down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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