Governor, resident commissioner urged to protect federal funds for solar systems in vulnerable homes

The U.S. Congress allocated $1 billion to the federal Department of Energy to benefit more than 30,000 vulnerable homes, 250 clinics and 100 multi-family housing projects across Puerto Rico, but the clock is running out on finalizing the grants, the Puerto Rico Solar and Storage Association warned.

By The Star Staff

The Puerto Rico Solar and Storage Association on Tuesday called for the protection of $1 billion from the federal Department of Energy to install solar battery systems in low-income homes, health clinics, and multi-family housing, said Javier Rúa Jovet, the association’s director of public policy.

“The deadline set by the Department of Energy to finalize these grants is April 29, and there is no indication that it will be met,” Rúa Jovet said in a written statement. “The need is urgent.”

The United States Congress allocated the funds to the Department of Energy to benefit more than 30,000 vulnerable homes, 250 clinics, and 100 multi-family housing projects across the island.

Starting Jan. 1, new solar systems in Puerto Rico must include smart inverters, according to an Energy Bureau directive. The devices, in addition to preventing blackouts, regulate the voltage in the electrical grid, Rúa Jovet noted.

The Association warned that if the grant is not finalized before the start of hurricane season on June 1, Puerto Rico could lose critical funds, especially for rural areas and historically vulnerable regions such as the central mountains, the south, and the west.

Rúa Jovet urged Gov. Jenniffer González Colón and Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández Rivera to advocate for the protection of the funds, emphasizing that their use would improve the island’s energy stability and security.