Energy czar meets with subcommittees, company reps on pressing power grid matters

Josué Colón Ortiz, the island’s energy czar, held a series of meetings late last week as part of efforts to accelerate the strengthening of the island’s energy grid.

By The Star Staff

In order to speed up government action on the issues of inspection of private operators’ contracts and the search for a new grid operator, as well as the development of energy projects, Josué Colón Ortiz, the island’s energy czar and executive director of the Public-Private Partnerships Authority, held a series of meetings late last week with the members appointed to the subcommittees on oversight and the search for a new grid operator, and with representatives of the following companies with ongoing energy projects:

1. Energiza (560 megawatts [MW]), 2. AES (500 MW), 3. Clean Flexible (solar 200 MW, ESSAs 285 MW), 4. Solaner (solar 40 MW), 5. Pattern (solar 165 MW, ESSAs 100 MW), 6. Ciro Energy (solar 258 MW, ESSAs 85 MW), 7. Infinigen (solar 87 MW, ESSAs 70 MW), 8. Tetris (solar 60 MW), 9. GoGreen (Solar 38.7 MW), 10. Convergent (solar 100 MW, ESSAs 150 MW), 11. Xzerta (Solar 60 MW), 12. LUMA, 13. Genera.

At the meetings, the representatives of the above-listed companies had the opportunity to present, directly to the officials of the government entities in charge of evaluating and approving the required permits, the status of each permit and clarify any doubts, all in accordance with the laws and executive orders approved by the governor to give priority attention to energy projects that seek to correct existing energy deficiencies.

In addition, the energy czar met with the appointees to the oversight subcommittees: Frances Berríos, president of the Electrical Experts Association, Maricarmen Zapata, executive director of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority; and Justo González, executive director of the new operator search subcommittee; Eric Santiago, executive director of the Industrial Development Company; Juan Zaragoza, former Treasury secretary and senator; Rafael Vélez, president of the Manufacturers Association; Energy Committee members Francisco López and Federico Stubbe; and Energy Committee Chairman Rafael Rojo to outline the work agenda and next steps for each subcommittee.