Puerto Rico Grid Resilience and Modernization

All Americans deserve access to reliable and affordable power. Puerto Ricans are no exception. In September 2017, Hurricanes Irma and Maria caused most of the transmission and distribution system in Puerto Rico to collapse, leading to one of the longest blackouts in U.S. history and leaving residents in some parts of the territory without electricity for almost a year. U.S Department of Energy (DOE) is an active partner in the recovery and modernization of Puerto Rico’s electric grid, relying heavily on local collaboration and centers community priorities for improving energy resiliency.

Highlights

Modernizing Puerto Rico's Grid

The Grid Deployment Office’s (GDO) Puerto Rico Grid Recovery and Modernization Team works across federal government agencies coordinate billions of dollars in federal aid, provide technical assistance to local stakeholders, and support current rebuilding activities. This team, in coordination with the Department’s national labs, led the Puerto Rico Grid Resilience and Transitions to 100% Renewable Energy Study (PR100), a two-year, comprehensive analysis providing possible pathways for Puerto Rico to achieve its goal of 100% renewable energy by 2050. 

GDO also administers the $1 billion Puerto Rico Energy Resilience Fund (PR-ERF), an initiative to improve the resilience of the Puerto Rican electric grid, including renewable energy and storage solutions for vulnerable households and communities. Two key programs are currently administered through the PR-ERF: the Programa Acceso Solar, providing subsidized rooftop solar and battery storage to low-income homeowners across Puerto Rico, and the Programa de Comunidades Resilientes, connecting community healthcare facilities and multifamily housing to solar and battery storage. 

DOE also can support large-scale  deployment of  renewable energy generation and storage in Puerto Rico by providing loans to solar and storage developers. In July 2024, DOE’s Loan Programs Office (LPO) announced a conditional commitment for a loan guarantee of up to $861.3 million for its first project of this kind, which will finance the construction of two solar photovoltaic (PV) farms equipped with battery storage in the municipalities of Guayama and Salinas. This project and others like it deliver clean, reliable, and affordable power throughout Puerto Rico. 

Conozca más sobre las iniciativas del Departamento de Energía de los EE. UU. en español: 

 

 

 

Puerto Rico Grid Resilience Hubs Program

Resilience Hubs (“Hubs”) are equity-centered climate solutions that provide a direct and immediate benefit to those grappling with the persistent and lingering effects of climate change. DOE’s Office of Energy Justice and Equity (EJE) is proving how our nation’s transition to a cleaner, more resilient energy system can – and must – consider equity and address energy injustice. Resilience Hubs (“Hubs”) are a cornerstone of the island’s effort to rebuild its electric grid, which was devastated by Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017, and further damaged by Hurricane Fiona in 2022. These Hubs are equity-centered climate solutions that provide a direct and immediate benefit to those grappling with the persistent and lingering effects of climate change. 

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