Puerto Rico Energy Resilience Fund

First Round Funding Opportunity Announcement
(DE-FOA-0003096)

On July 31, 2023, GDO released a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for up to $450 million to support residential rooftop solar and battery storage installations and offer consumer protection and education resources. Potential applicants may include private industry, educational institutions, state and local governmental entities, non-profit organizations, and energy cooperatives. Through this deployment-focused funding, DOE aims to incentivize the installation of roughly 30,000–40,000 residential solar and battery systems for Puerto Rico’s most vulnerable households. DOE will identify and enroll households through the Programa Acceso Solar (Solar Access Program).

In November 2023, GDO announced the selectees for this FOA, including three solar companies and five nonprofits and cooperatives to begin negotiations for up to $440 million to install residential solar systems, as well as two nonprofits to support households with education, training, and consumer protection for these systems.

Learn more about the FOA and its selectees.

Programa Acceso Solar (Solar Access Program)

In February 2024, DOE launched the Programa Acceso Solar (Solar Access Program) to connect low-income Puerto Rican households with subsidized residential solar and battery storage systems. This initiative is funded through Topic Area 1 of the PR-ERF FOA.

Residents of Puerto Rico can visit energy.gov/solarPR to check their eligibility and identify their local Solar Ambassador.

Residents may be eligible for the Programa Acceso Solar if they fit all three of the following criteria: 

1. They are low-income, as demonstrated by enrollment in one of the following government assistance programs:

• Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) 
• Nutrition Assistance Program (NAP) 
• Plan de Salud Vital 
• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) 
• USDA’s Section 502 Direct Loan Program 
• USDA’s Section 504 Home Repair Program 

2. They own the single-family home in which they currently reside.

3. And EITHER: A resident of their household relies on an electricity or battery-dependent medical device due to a medical condition or disability OR their address is eligible for an installation. Instructions for confirming address eligibility are available on energy.gov/SolarPR.

Solar Ambassador Prize

To ensure that the FOA selectees can quickly deploy solar and battery systems where they are most needed, the Solar Ambassador Prize is a complementary competitive funding opportunity for organizations in Puerto Rico to assist DOE in identifying, engaging, and assisting with intake processing of qualifying households for residential solar and battery installations.

In November 2023, DOE announced that it will award a total of $3.85 million to up to 16 community organizations selected to assist in this work.

Learn more about the recipients of the Solar Ambassador Prize.

Puerto Rican Stakeholder Engagement is Vital

The development of the PR-ERF has relied heavily on local collaboration and centers community priorities for improving energy resiliency in Puerto Rico. On February 21, 2023, DOE issued a Request for Information (RFI) to collect feedback about both short- and long-term energy solutions including residential rooftop solar deployment, community and critical service energy resilience, partnerships with non-profit organizations, and workforce training to sustain Puerto Rico’s clean energy economy. Comments are being used to inform the implementation strategy for the PR-ERF, including identifying priority energy technologies and solutions, eligibility, funding structure, and timing.

Additional Links

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• Learn more about GDO’s Puerto Rico Grid Recovery and Modernization efforts.