Resident Commissioner Hernández and Senator Cortez Masto Urge DOE to Reverse Reallocation of Puerto Rico Energy Resilience Funds

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández Rivera (D-P.R.) and U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), members of the House and Senate Natural Resources Committees, respectively, urged the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) urging it to reconsider its decision to divert funds from the Puerto Rico Energy Resilience Fund (PR-ERF).

This funding, which went through a merit-based process, provided up to $365 million to improve community-level energy resilience for vulnerable populations across Puerto Rico by funding solar and battery storage installations at healthcare facilities and public or subsidized housing, while also supporting local workforce development

The Members express deep concern over DOE’s move to shift funding away intended to support medically vulnerable communities in Puerto Rico, stating that the change undermines both congressional intent and community resilience efforts.

“These funds were approved by Congress to install solar panels and battery systems in homes and health centers—especially for those most at risk,” said Hernández. “Redirecting them delays help, ignores the purpose of the law, and risks lives. Puerto Rico’s most vulnerable cannot become collateral in a political war against clean energy. I thank Senator Cortez Masto for her partnership and look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate on addressing Puerto Rico’s energy grid challenges.”

The letter stresses that the DOE’s justification for reallocation lacks transparency and threatens to delay urgently needed assistance following recurring blackouts on the island, most recently in April. The lawmakers urge the Department to prioritize public health and uphold congressional directives.

“Puerto Rico doesn’t need improvisation and disorder—it needs stability and commitment. It needs the federal government to honor its word,” concluded Hernández.

In April, the Resident Commissioner joined U.S. Representatives Nydia Velázquez (D-N.Y.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), and Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) in urging the Department of Energy (DOE) to accelerate solar installations under the Puerto Rico Energy Resilience Fund’s (PR-ERF) programs, warning that continued delays could have severe consequences for vulnerable communities across the island. 

Last month, the Resident Commissioner led 14 Members of Congress urging the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water to increase funding to U.S. Department of Energy offices that support grid modernization in Puerto Rico, including the Grid Deployment Office (GDO) that administers the Puerto Rico Energy Resilience Fund (PR-ER). 

Hernández introduced earlier this year the Puerto Rico Energy Generation Crisis Task Force Act, legislation addressing the urgent energy generation deficit threatening the island’s power grid. The bill establishes a dedicated task force of federal and local government entities to improve coordination and ensure more effective management of Puerto Rico’s fragile energy system.

The Resident Commissioner’s joint letter with Senator Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) was also signed by U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Ruben Gallego, (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Jeffrey A. Merkley (D-Ore.), Jackie Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernard Sanders (D-Vt.), and U.S. Representatives Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.), Timothy M. Kennedy (D-N.Y.), Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Nellie Pou (D-N.J.), Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.), and Nydia Velázquez (D-N.Y.).

Click HERE to read the Resident Commissioner's letter.

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