In this newsletter, the Grid Deployment Office (GDO) shares the latest milestones, updates, and highlights of this work.
January 16, 2025
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The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) supports grid recovery and resiliency efforts in Puerto Rico through planning assistance, operational activities, and capacity building for both local public entities and federal agencies, ensuring investment decisions are driven by world-class data, modeling, and analysis. In this newsletter, the Grid Deployment Office (GDO) shares the latest milestones, updates, and highlights of this work.
Program Highlights and Announcements
Secretary Granholm Completes Tenth and Final Visit to Puerto Rico
On Friday, January 10, U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm traveled to Puerto Rico to provide residents with an update on the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to support the recovery and modernization of Puerto Rico’s energy infrastructure. During this visit, Secretary Granholm traveled to Yabucoa and Guayama to meet with community and industry leaders. The Secretary also visited Canóvanas to meet with a homeowner who received a solar and battery storage system through DOE’s Programa Acceso Solar and now has access to reliable power, even during the 2024 New Year’s Eve island-wide blackout. This trip was Secretary Granholm’s tenth and final visit to Puerto Rico in her capacity as Secretary of Energy.
U.S. Department of Energy Announces up to $365 Million to Equip Multifamily Housing and Healthcare Facilities Across Puerto Rico with Resilient Solar and Battery Storage
On December 12, 2024, DOE announced four Puerto Rico-based teams selected to install solar and battery storage systems under its new Programa de Comunidades Resilientes, funded by DOE’s Puerto Rico Energy Resilience Fund (PR-ERF). This investment of up to $365 million aims to improve community-level energy resilience for vulnerable populations across Puerto Rico, funding solar and battery storage installations for community healthcare facilities as well as common areas within public housing and privately owned subsidized multi-family properties. This investment will also boost local workforce development opportunities in Puerto Rico.
Learn more about the selectees for the Programa de Comunidades Resilientes.
Loan Programs Office Announces Conditional Commitment to Subsidiaries of Convergent Energy and Power Inc. to Build Solar PV and Energy Storage in Puerto Rico
On December 18, 2024, DOE’s Loan Programs Office announced a conditional commitment for a loan guarantee of up to $584.5 million ($559.4 million in principal and $25.1 million in capitalized interest) to subsidiaries of Convergent Energy and Power Inc. (Convergent), a leading provider of energy storage solutions in North America. The loan guarantee would finance a solar photovoltaic (PV) system with an integrated battery energy storage system (BESS) and three stand-alone BESS projects across Puerto Rico, generating enough energy to power approximately 19,000 homes each year.
Loan Programs Office Announces More Than $860 Million Loan Guarantee to Support Construction of Utility-scale Solar and Battery Storage in Puerto Rico
On October 15, 2024, the Loan Programs Office announced a $861.3 million loan guarantee to finance the construction of two solar photovoltaic (PV) farms equipped with battery storage and two standalone battery energy storage systems (BESS) in Puerto Rico. The facilities will be located in the municipalities of Guayama and Salinas and will help deliver clean, reliable, and affordable power to communities throughout Puerto Rico. The borrower is Clean Flexible Energy, LLC, an indirect subsidiary of The AES Corporation (AES) and TotalEnergies Holdings USA, Inc. that is managed under a joint venture agreement between the two companies. The project—known as Project Marahu—comprises 200 MW of solar PV and up to 285 MW (1,140 MWh) of stand-alone BESS capacity. Annually, the solar PV installations will produce approximately 460,000 MWh of energy, enough to power approximately 43,000 homes, and enhance Puerto Rico’s grid reliability and energy security.
Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations Opens Applications for up to $400 million for Community-Focused, Clean Energy Solutions for Rural and Remote Communities across the United States
On October 3, 2024, DOE’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) opened applications for up to $400 million to spur innovative, community-focused, clean energy solutions for rural and remote communities across the United States. This funding will help rural and remote communities demonstrate replicable projects, ultimately encouraging widespread adoption and helping to lower energy costs, support local economic development, and enhance energy resiliency.
Read the Notice of Funding Opportunity here. To provide more information on the funding opportunity and information on next steps, watch the previously recorded Funding Opportunity Announcement Informational Webinar, held on October 8, 2024. The webinar is also available in Spanish. Concept papers are due by February 27, 2025, and full applications are due by August 28, 2025.
DOE Expands Eligibility for Programa Acceso Solar and Announces New Solar Ambassador Regions of Service
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If you are a low-income homeowner in Puerto Rico and receive Plan Vital, you may now qualify for a solar and battery system with zero upfront costs through Programa Acceso Solar. DOE also expanded medical eligibility for this program, and now households with a resident over age 65 or under 4 years of age may also qualify for an installation. Residents of Puerto Rico can visit energy.gov/solarPR or call (833) 822-8628 to check their eligibility and apply.
DOE also congratulates three of its Solar Ambassadors for advancing in the Solar Ambassador Prize. Cooperativa Hidroeléctrica de la Montaña, Corporación Desarrollo Económico Vivienda y Salud (CODEVyS), and Grupo Resiliente have been conditionally selected to continue assisting qualifying residents in applying to Programa Acceso Solar through July 2025.
Puerto Rico Science, Technology and Research Trust Receives Clean Energy Incubator Prize
On December 5, 2024, the DOE’s Office of Technology Transitions announced five Phase 2 winners of the Energy Program for Innovation Clusters (EPIC) Round 3. EPIC Round 3 is a multi-phase funding opportunity that aims to encourage energy innovation ecosystems, increase local clean energy business productivity, and improve the commercial success of energy tech startups. The Puerto Rico Science, Technology and Research Trust (PRSTRT), based in San Juan, Puerto Rico, was awarded for its Project Switch. This initiative will build on PRSTRT's success with its Parallel18 accelerator program, with the goal of centering Puerto Rico as the premier hub of energy innovation in the Americas. The award for this team is co-funded by DOE’s Grid Deployment Office.
Vieques Nonprofit Receives Funding through DOE’s Clean Energy Innovation Prize
DOE’s Community Energy Innovation Prize, funded by the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and Office of Energy Justice and Equity, awarded a total of nearly $7.5 million to projects across the United States including workforce development initiatives, community education, and technology deployment related to clean energy and manufacturing. Under this prize, Vieques’ Community through Colors was awarded $310,000 as part of the Clean Energy Ecosystem track.
DOE’s Office of Energy Justice and Equity visits Resilience hubs in Puerto Rico
Back in September, DOE’s Office of Energy Justice and Equity visited five Resilience Hubs in Puerto Rico, witnessing firsthand the innovative community-led efforts to improve energy resilience. These hubs, supported by a cooperative agreement with the Interstate Renewable Energy Council and the University of Puerto Rico, are supporting communities like Cubuy, Calabazas Arriba, Guayabota, and Villa Esperanza to overcome challenges posed by frequent power outages and natural disasters through sustainable energy solutions and community-building initiatives.
Other Announcements
White House Fact Sheet: Biden-Harris Administration’s Investments in Puerto Rico’s Energy Grid
On January 10, 2025, the White House published a fact sheet outlining how the Biden-Harris Administration has been committed to supporting the recovery and modernization of Puerto Rico’s energy infrastructure. From unlocking billions of dollars in disaster funding to enacting historic investments under the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts are increasing Puerto Ricans’ access to reliable energy, improving the island’s grid infrastructure, and boosting the local energy sector workforce with good-paying jobs, all while ensuring that the needs of Puerto Rico’s most vulnerable communities are supported in this recovery.
U.S. Department of Energy and Fiscal Oversight and Management Board Introduce Energy Information Website to Provide Information and Transparency on Grid Recovery Efforts
The Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Department of Energy together created the new website Ruta Energética para Puerto Rico to provide information about Puerto Rico’s energy transformation and grid modernization. The new website also provides information on Puerto Rico’s grid modernization projects under construction or completed, including program descriptions, goals, allocated funding amounts and project status.
Arecibo’s Corporación Desarrollo Económico Vivienda y Salud (CODEVyS) Celebrates Programa Acceso Solar Milestone
DOE’s Solar Ambassadors play a critical role in helping connect eligible households with subsidized rooftop solar and battery systems through DOE’s Programa Acceso Solar. Back in November, members of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Puerto Rico Grid Recovery and Modernization team visited Arecibo to celebrate Doña Irene’s new solar and battery storage system through the Programa Acceso Solar. DOE also celebrated the hard work of the Corporación Desarrollo Económico Vivienda y Salud (CODEVyS), Arecibo’s local Solar Ambassador team, who processed their 1,000th application to this program.
Stay Connected with DOE
Join DOE’s Online Communities to Receive Updates on Technical Assistance for Puerto Rico
On January 16, 2025, DOE hosted a public kickoff for a new portfolio of technical assistance projects from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and DOE to support the modernization of Puerto Rico’s electric grid. Technical assistance will support decision makers including FEMA, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), as well as Puerto Rico’s electric utility, regulator, and other stakeholders across the following areas:
- Capacity building to enhance the skills and abilities of Puerto Rico’s public entities to analyze, model, and manage their energy systems, particularly in the context of integrating new energy sources and recovering from disasters.
- System Planning and Analysis focused on the successful integration of new energy projects, improving grid resilience and reliability, and optimizing the use of generation assets.
- Technical Review and Guidance to FEMA, HUD, and local entities to ensure investments adhere to industry best practices, are coordinated across sectors, and align with public policy.
To receive updates from DOE regarding these ongoing efforts:
- Join the LinkedIn group, Puerto Rico Technical Assistance
- Join the WhatsApp announcements group, Puerto Rico Technical Assistance
Learn more about the multi-lab planning support for Puerto Rico here.