Genera seeks $1 million in emergency funds due to water line breakage

The Central San Juan power plant requires roughly 150,000 gallons of water per day to replenish cooling system tanks, with current consumption at some 6,500 gallons per hour. (genera-pr.com)

By THE STAR STAFF

Genera PR has filed an urgent motion asking the Puerto Rico Energy Bureau (PREB) to immediately authorize $1 million in reserve account funding to secure emergency water supplies for the Central San Juan power plant, after a series of failures in the Superaqueduct disrupted the facility’s access to water needed for cooling operations.

According to the filing, The Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (PRASA) reported three separate disruptions to the Superaqueduct between last Thursday and Saturday, culminating in a complete suspension of the water supply that Genera relies on to operate critical generation systems. “Today, PRASA reported yet another disruption affecting the Superaqueduct, further exacerbating the ongoing water supply emergency,” the company wrote on Saturday.

Central San Juan requires roughly 150,000 gallons of water per day to replenish cooling system tanks, with current consumption at some 6,500 gallons per hour. With no water entering the plant, Genera says it must immediately contract private tanker trucks at an estimated cost of $1 per gallon -- a five‑day emergency operation totaling about $1 million.

Without that emergency supply, the company warns, the plant could exhaust its remaining reserves, jeopardizing the reliability of electricity generation for the island.

Genera argues that the Superaqueduct failure qualifies as a Force Majeure event under Section 7.6(d) of its Operation and Maintenance Agreement, which allows the operator to draw from a Reserve Account to cover extraordinary, unforeseen costs. However, the PREB denied funding for that account in its April 15 rate order, leaving it empty.

“Due to this emergency situation, and [the] April 15th determination, Genera has no other option than to request that the Energy Bureau authorize the immediate funding and use of the Reserve Account,” the company stated, emphasizing that the water supply interruption is entirely outside its control.

The motion asks the PREB to authorize the $1 million draw so Genera can procure tanker services “until normal water service is restored.”

The PREB had not yet indicated at press time when it would rule on the request.