Hospitals worry: Energy resiliency at risk as federal funding remains unfinalized

Frances Berríos, president of the Puerto Rico Electrical Experts Association (Facebook via Frances T. Berríos Presidenta CPEPR)

By The Star Staff

With less than 10 weeks until the start of hurricane season, hospitals and community groups are increasingly concerned about the lack of final approval from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for the installation of energy resilience systems, such as battery storage and technologies that ensure power during blackouts, in health centers across the island.

Although the DOE announced a conditional investment of up to $365 million for such projects in December 2024, the final agreement has yet to be signed, leaving dozens of medical institutions anxious. Spokespeople warn that time is running out: hurricane season begins on June 1, and they fear that if funding is not secured soon, vulnerable patients will face further blackouts during critical months.

The federal initiative is part of the Puerto Rico Energy Resilience Fund, created in response to the devastation of Hurricane Maria in 2017, which caused the longest blackout in U.S. history. The fund aims to strengthen electrical infrastructure in high-risk communities. In the second phase of the program, the DOE selected four proposals in Puerto Rico to provide resilient energy to community health facilities and affordable housing. The three main recipients of the grants are the Puerto Rico Public Housing Authority, the Hispanic Federation, and Dynamic Solar Solutions, which received conditional awards in December 2024. Each entity would lead the installation of energy systems once cooperative agreement negotiations with the DOE are finalized -- negotiations that are currently pending.

If finalized, the project would have an unprecedented scope. According to DOE documents, the goal is to equip nearly 450 health centers across the island, directly benefiting some 45,000 Puerto Ricans served by those facilities. The implementation of resilient energy systems is expected to prevent over 140,000 hours of interruptions in essential medical services, ensuring continuous power for emergency rooms, dialysis equipment, vaccine refrigeration, and other critical functions. Additionally, operational savings of over $132 million are anticipated for affected centers -- resources that could be redirected to improve patient services -- and the creation of more than 6,750 manufacturing and installation jobs in the United States.

The DOE would finance up to 90% of the cost of each system, making the acquisition virtually cost-free for hospitals, with only minimal maintenance expenses remaining.

The selected health centers are spread throughout the island, including rural and highly vulnerable areas such as the central mountains, the south and the west -- regions that have historically endured the worst impacts of hurricanes and prolonged blackouts.

“When the power grid collapses, these medical facilities become oases of energy for their communities. Therefore, it is crucial for this energy resilience effort to reach every corner of Puerto Rico,” noted Javier Rúa Jovet, director of public policy for the Puerto Rico Solar Energy and Storage Association. “Our hospitals need energy resilience to save lives. With hurricane season approaching, it is urgent that these projects get underway, especially since the elderly and most vulnerable are the ones who will benefit the most. Their well-being largely depends on our ability to keep critical services running during emergencies.”

Engineer Frances Berríos, president of the Puerto Rico Electrical Experts Association, echoed the sense of urgency: “The energy resilience systems being installed in hospitals across the island would help ensure that the upcoming hurricane seasons are less concerning, particularly for the healthcare sector,” she said. “These systems will make sure that healthcare services are not interrupted and that the life-sustaining devices for patients in these facilities remain powered.”

Carlos Velázquez, director of the Interstate Renewable Energy Council in Puerto Rico, representing the renewable energy sector, urged the federal government to expedite the approval process.

“We are ready to begin,” he said. “We already have trained personnel and developed plans, but without that final agreement from the DOE, we cannot move forward. Every day of delay means one more day that our hospitals are left unprotected.”

Velázquez also highlighted the program’s accessibility.

“With the DOE covering 90% of the cost, we are talking about practically free resilience for health centers,” he said. “We cannot afford to miss this opportunity.”