Josué Colón Ortiz, the island’s energy czar, is also the executive director of the Puerto Rico Public‑Private Partnerships Authority. By THE STAR STAFF A hearing examiner overseeing a high‑profile energy rate case has rejected an 11th‑hour filing by the Puerto Rico Public‑Private Partnerships Authority and the Office of the Energy Czar, ruling that the submission was both unauthorized and untimely. In an order issued Monday regarding the April 10 filing, the examiner, Scott H

The mission involved a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter from the Army National Guard Aviation Facility, equipped with a Bambi Bucket fire suppression system to conduct water drops over the most affected areas. By THE STAR STAFF The Puerto Rico National Guard activated air support on Monday to assist the Puerto Rico Firefighters Bureau in combating wildfires in Vega Baja, following authorization from Gov. Jenniffer González Colón. “The activation of our air assets, in coordination

The lifeguard on duty at Watchtower Number 2 at La Monserrate beach in Luquillo, Joanel Figueroa, saw a swimmer struggling and launched Dolphin 3, guiding the aquatic drone to the man, who attached himself to the drone using a rope and was brought ashore without further incident. By THE STAR STAFF Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER) Secretary Waldemar Quiles Pérez announced on Monday the historic first rescue of a person in the water using exclusively a Dolphin 3 unman

Laura García Santamaría of Reforestamos México presents her talk on the efforts her country is undertaking in the development and management of urban trees. By THE STAR STAFF The exchange of technical, scientific and community experiences on urban tree management, climate resilience and environmental planning marked the theme of the Congress on Urban Tree Management held over the weekend by the Municipal Administration of Caguas with the participation of local and internation

The Puerto Rico Energy Bureau said the loss of federal EPA funding to develop a comprehensive regulatory framework for community solar projects presents an opportunity to broaden the scope of the proceeding and develop a more robust regulatory record to guide long-term community solar development in Puerto Rico. ( ieefa.org ) By THE STAR STAFF The Puerto Rico Energy Bureau (PREB) has re-initiated its regulatory proceeding to develop a comprehensive framework for community sol

Officials warned that conditions could become dangerous in a short period of time, especially in flood-prone communities. By THE STAR STAFF Government officials urged residents and visitors to exercise extreme caution Sunday as a weather system is expected to bring persistent rainfall and risk of flooding across much of Puerto Rico over the next several days. The Puerto Rico Emergency Management and Disaster Administration (NMEAD by its acronym in Spanish) and the Department

Urban planner Pedro Cardona Roig By THE STAR STAFF Legislative proposals for a new Planning and Permits Code submitted by Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz and by Gov. Jenniffer González Colón recently are “misguided bills,” urban planner Pedro Cardona Roig said. Of the two, Cardona Roig said in a recent radio interview (Radio Isla) that Rivera Schatz’s version of a new permitting process was better than the governor’s measure, but still bad. The island Legislature is s

Sen. Juan Oscar Morales Rodríguez Critics say SB 1190 has constitutional flaws By THE STAR STAFF District I (San Juan, Guaynabo and Aguas Buenas) Sen. Juan Oscar Morales Rodríguez has introduced Senate Bill (SB) 1190, a measure aimed at establishing the “Law for a Strict Regulatory Framework for Lobbying in Puerto Rico,” which critics view as problematic. The measure comes amid allegations that La Fortaleza Chief of Staff Francisco Domenech Fernández, the former owner of lob

By THE STAR STAFF Popular Democratic Party (PDP) Senate Minority Leader Luis Javier Hernández Ortiz announced on Thursday the filing of a request for information to Gov. Jenniffer González Colón and the Financial Oversight and Management Board to explain the status of promised tax relief. “Recall that on February 3, 2026, Joint Resolution 6-2026 was passed, which in essence was a piece of legislation that allocated to the Department of the Treasury $554 million from the Gener

The Financial Oversight and Management Board noted that the Costa Sur site -- Gothams Energy’s originally proposed location for a 200-megawatt temporary power generation unit -- has already undergone a full logistics assessment. By THE STAR STAFF The Financial Oversight and Management Board has formally requested additional information from the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) and the Third-Party Procurement Office (3PPO) regarding a proposed 200-megawatt (MW) tem