Puerto Rico's Energy Crisis

Floor Speech

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Mr. HERNANDEZ. Mr. Speaker, in March, I stood on this floor and sounded the alarm that Puerto Rico's energy crisis was about to get a lot worse starting in May due to selective power outages as a result of a lack of generation capacity.

I acknowledged then that the Government of Puerto Rico had a plan A to bring in barges with temporary generation capacity and to repair all generation plants. I offered to support those goals and put my office at the local government's disposition to help accomplish them.

I also said we needed a plan B in case plan A failed. I proposed three immediate steps: to demand transparency from the utility companies about outages; to promote energy conservation through education and incentives; and to provide backup power for the most vulnerable in the island.

Here we are. Last week, the government announced that the generation barges are no longer viable. One of the repaired units failed. This week, over 100,000 customers lost power in a selective outage announced by LUMA, the utility company, that very same day, leaving them unprepared.

Where is plan B? It doesn't exist.

Worse yet, the government is walking away from over $300 million in Federal appropriated funds for solar panels, and it is walking away from a $1 billion lawsuit against oil companies, a lawsuit that sought to compensate our people for environmental harms.

Yesterday, DHS Secretary Noem did not assure the people of Puerto Rico that the tens of billions of dollars that have been assigned for its reconstruction will be honored.

As I said in March, this administration, both the Puerto Rico administration and the Federal administration, did not create the energy crisis, but they are responsible if it worsens. They are responsible for fixing it, and right now they are failing.

I will not stop working. This month I led 14 of my colleagues in urging the Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water to increase funding for the Department of Energy to support the resiliency and the modernization of Puerto Rico's grid. I also requested language to expedite delivery of generation assets to the island.

I sincerely hope that the Government of Puerto Rico and the Government of the United States corrects the course. No matter what, I will keep fighting for the people of Puerto Rico and for its energy future.

Mr. Speaker, I will briefly speak in Spanish, for the benefit of my constituents:

(English translation of the statement made in Spanish is as follows:)

I sincerely hope that the governments of Puerto Rico and the United States correct the course they are on regarding the energy crisis facing the island. But no matter what, I will continue working for the well-being and the future of the people of Puerto Rico and for a solution to their energy crisis.

Yo sinceramente espero que los gobiernos de Puerto Rico y Estados Unidos corrigan el curso que llevan en torno la crisis energetica que enfrenta la isla. Pero no importa que, yo seguire trabajando por el bienestar y el futuro del pueblo de Puerto Rico y la solucion a su problema energetico.

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