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Governor to file energy bills in phases, starting with power generation

Writer's picture: The San Juan Daily StarThe San Juan Daily Star


Gov. Jenniffer González Colón
Gov. Jenniffer González Colón

By The Star Staff


Gov. Jenniffer González Colón plans to submit legislation soon to address Puerto Rico’s energy issues, including one that seeks to allow the coal-fired plant in Guayama operated by AES to stay under certain conditions.


“Some bills have already been drafted, and others are in the process of being created. We hope that, by next week, we will have all the energy measures ready to file,” the governor said at a press conference over the weekend. “We have taken the time, consulting with technicians, and all these projects and ideas have been discussed and supported unanimously by this energy transformation committee, which includes professionals from all fields and political parties. I am very pleased that we have reached an agreement on such a critical issue. As part of this process, we also included the chairs of the committees that will work on these energy matters in both the House and the Senate.”


The first measures to be filed will focus on generation. Following that, the governor will introduce measures to address transmission and distribution problems, including the termination of the contract awarded to LUMA Energy to operate PREPA’s transmission and distribution (T&D) system. A meeting is scheduled for Jan. 27 or Jan. 28.


“We are going to have a meeting with LUMA, where they can discuss various situations, including how they have operated with federal funds,” González Colón said. “They will have the opportunity to present before the committee and participate in discussions about transmission and distribution. Once that occurs, we will start exploring opportunities for new operators and the search for these operators with the committee. Then we will move to the legislative phase.”


One of the committee’s recommendations is to condition the exit of AES from the generation component on a substitute first being found for the 500 megawatts the Guayama plant generates. The governor acknowledged that there is currently no definitive agreement regarding the future of the coal-fired plant, which is expected to close in 2027.


“When we file the bill, we can negotiate what elements could ensure the continuation of that generation,” she said. “For me, the most important issue right now is how we replace these 500 megawatts, as there are not enough generators that can be installed in time. So, we are working under emergency conditions.”


The governor hopes that AES operators will agree to maintain operations and transition to another type of fuel. However, she noted, there is no guarantee this will happen.


“We are uncertain whether this operator will agree to this energy transition,” González Colón said. “This change must come as an offer and a request from the government of Puerto Rico, and until the law is amended, those conditions will not be in place.”


The governor believes that utilizing the permit that AES has to operate could facilitate the construction of a facility that uses alternative fuel sources.


“Obviously, I first need to amend the legislation to make an offer in that direction to this operator, as this is a private company with a legal obligation to close its operations,” she added.


In July, meanwhile, Clean Flexible Energy, a subsidiary of AES Corp. and Total Energies, announced that the U.S. Department of Energy Loan Programs Office had granted it a loan guarantee of $861 million to finance the construction of two solar photovoltaic (PV) farms equipped with battery storage and two standalone battery energy storage systems in Puerto Rico. The PV facilities will be located in the municipalities of Guayama (Jobos) and Salinas and will help deliver clean, reliable and affordable power throughout Puerto Rico, the company said.

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William Rosa
William Rosa
1月20日

One more NPP governor repeating inaccuracies as they have done during the last 16 years. Mrs. JG, in explaining the manner her government is planning to deal with the national energy debacle, due to the imposition and failure of LUMA, says that to address it, "Some bills have already been drafted, and others are in the process of being created," then she added that “We have taken the time, consulting with technicians," the results of these processes conducted by the energy committee, they "discussed and supported unanimously" all the projects.

The plan is twofold, although both goals intertwine with LUMA; they will discuss LUMA's contract while having them at the table expecting to present and discussing solutions to the energy…

いいね!
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