Rivera Schatz urges Congress to support vegetation management projects

Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz

By The Star Staff

Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz called on members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives on Tuesday to urgently support the acceleration of critical vegetation management projects that are essential for the stability of Puerto Rico’s electrical grid.

The request was outlined in a letter sent to congressional offices, prompted by a widespread blackout last week that extended to every corner of the island. In the letter, Rivera Schatz highlighted preliminary information suggesting that contact between vegetation and high-voltage transmission lines was a major factor in the outage, revealing ongoing vulnerabilities. He stressed that frequent power outages have serious implications for public safety, the economy and citizen trust, and directly threaten national security interests. The letter specifically requests Congress’ assistance in facilitating greater coordination among key federal agencies -- including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Department of Energy (DOE), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) -- to eliminate bureaucratic delays and expedite the implementation of the vital Vegetation Management Plan developed by LUMA Energy, FEMA and Puerto Rico’s Central Office for Recovery, Reconstruction, and Resilience.

“The stability of our energy infrastructure is critical not only for the well-being of American citizens in Puerto Rico but also for national security in a key region under the ‘America First’ policy,” Rivera Schatz wrote. “We appreciate the attention provided by the federal government, including recent statements of support from the DOE Secretary and the EPA Administrator regarding Puerto Rico’s energy future. We now urge Congress to turn that commitment into concrete action by ensuring effective federal coordination to execute the approved plan before the next hurricane season.”

The urgent request from the Senate president aligns with efforts led by Gov. Jenniffer González Colón to stabilize and modernize the island’s energy system. It also seeks to build on recent comments and commitments from senior DOE and EPA officials regarding the energy challenges in Puerto Rico.

Rivera Schatz emphasized the need for collaborative federal action.

“Addressing excessive vegetation growth, exacerbated by Hurricanes Irma and Maria, is a critical and actionable step,” he said. “We already have a plan developed with our federal partners; we need a concerted effort facilitated by Congress to overcome delays and protect our citizens.”