The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) joined the Departments of Homeland Security (DHS) and Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico to strengthen the island’s grid resilience and advance new initiatives to enhance Puerto Rico’s energy future.

Dozens of grid modernization projects will start construction this year, and Puerto Rico’s utility will sign contracts for at least 2 GW of renewable energy and 1 GW of energy storage projects.

From emergency restoration to planning for the long-term recovery of Puerto Rico’s energy sector, DOE, DHS through FEMA, and HUD have been providing hands-on technical assistance to help Puerto Rico plan and prepare to execute over $12 billion in Federal recovery and grid modernization funds.

FEMA, the Central Office for Recovery, Reconstruction and Resilience (COR3), the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA), and LUMA Energy have established working groups and collaboration processes to reconstruct the island’s electric grid. It is expected that at least 138 projects will be under construction bidding or have begun initial construction activities, including island-wide substation repairs.

To achieve its clean energy goals, Puerto Rico is procuring 3750 MW of renewable energy and 1500 MW of energy storage, enough clean energy to power over 1 million homes.  PREPA is currently in final negotiations of the first tranche of proposed clean energy projects: 844 MW of renewable energy, 220 MW of energy storage, and two Virtual Power Plants.

In 2022, the Puerto Rico Department of Housing (PRDOH) will implement an action plan to enhance electrical system reliability and resilience. Puerto Rico’s proposed plan includes the development of small and large microgrids.

The parties executed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on February 3, 2022 that enhances collaboration among federal agencies and the Commonwealth, and kickstarts the PR100 Study. The PR100 Study is a community-driven and locally tailored roadmap designed to help Puerto Rico meet its target of 100% renewable electricity, improve power sector resiliency, and increase access to more affordable energy and cleaner air, reports NS Energy.

The study will engage stakeholders and assess climate risks through the lens of energy justice, assess the full potential of renewable energy, model clean energy scenarios, analyze system reliability, resilience, and economic impact.

The PR100 Study is modeled after the Los Angeles “100% Renewable Energy Study” (LA100), which evaluated a wide range of future scenarios to help Los Angeles understand options for and implications of meeting its renewable energy goals.

Source: NS Energy