Congressman Ritchie Torres (NY-15) and Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González-Colón (PR) sent a letter on Thursday, June 13, to U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm regarding the current energy crisis in Puerto Rico. Torres represents a large section of The Bronx, stretching from the northwest to the south, including a large Puerto Rican community.

 

The letter reads as follows:

“We are writing to express our deep concern over the ongoing power outages in Puerto Rico, which have left many residents without electricity for extended periods. These power outages are having a severe impact on the daily lives of Puerto Ricans, hindering access to essential services, disrupting businesses, while posing significant health and safety risks.

 

For many weeks, thousands of residents in Puerto Rico have been without access to electricity. The latest outage left over 340,000 customers without power, while impacting water reservoirs and the main airport. It has been reported that multiple municipalities in the Central and South region of the main island will have to wait weeks until power is restored.

 

This wait time can be compared to what many families go through right after a natural disaster, the difference is that this time is happening without a hurricane or any major disaster. We cannot wait until an emergency to fix something that we know does not work. The current state of the electric grid in Puerto Rico is unacceptable. The lack of reliable energy infrastructure has persisted for too long, and it is clear that immediate and decisive action is required to address this critical issue.

 

The federal government has a responsibility to ensure that all U.S. citizens, including those in Puerto Rico, have access to reliable and stable electricity. We urge the U.S. Department of Energy to intervene and provide the necessary assistance to expedite the rebuilding of the electric grid in Puerto Rico. This intervention should include the establishment of emergency protocols to address the immediate needs of those affected by the outages, and as well encourage collaborations with States, power companies, and other federal agencies to provide urgent assistance when needed to reestablish power.

 

Additionally, a comprehensive plan should be developed and implemented to stabilize and modernize the electric grid to prevent such occurrences in the near future. Federal resources and expertise are essential to support the local efforts in Puerto Rico and to ensure that the rebuilding process is efficient and effective. The residents of Puerto Rico deserve the same level of support and infrastructure reliability as those on the mainland.

 

We respectfully request that the Department of Energy prioritize this issue and take all necessary measures to restore reliable electricity to Puerto Rico as quickly as possible. Your attention and action on this matter are crucial to improving the quality of life for millions of Americans living in Puerto Rico.

 

Thank you for your prompt attention to this urgent matter.”

 

Meanwhile, the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources has announced that the U.S. Senate Hearing on the political status of Puerto Rico planned for June 18 has been postponed.

 

An extract from a government website reads, “The hearing previously announced to be held on Tuesday, June 18, 2024, at 2:30 pm, to receive testimony on pending legislation, has been POSTPONED.

 

The purpose of this hearing was to receive testimony on the following bills:

• S. 2944, to enable the people of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico to determine the political status of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and for other purposes (Wicker);
• S. 3231, to enable the people of Puerto Rico to choose a permanent, nonterritorial, fully self-governing political status for Puerto Rico and to provide for a transition to and the implementation of that permanent, nonterritorial, fully self-governing political status, and for other purposes (Heinrich).

 

The hearing was due to be webcast live on the Committee’s website, and an archived video was due to be made available shortly after the hearing concluded. Witness testimony was due to be made available on the website at the start of the hearing. We will share any updates we receive on the revised hearing date.