Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández Calls for Federal Oversight in Emergency Power Procurement in Floor Speech

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a speech delivered today on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández (D-PR), a member of the Homeland Security Committee, called for full transparency and federal oversight into the rejection of barge-based power generation proposals in Puerto Rico.

“This is not about siding with one company over another. It’s about transparency. It’s about oversight. It’s about whether federal agencies were used–knowingly or not–to manufacture a pretext and favor certain interests,” said Hernández. “The people of Puerto Rico don’t deserve blackouts. And we need to make sure there are no backroom deals made in the dark.”

Earlier this year, the Puerto Rican government had proposed deploying power barges to address an anticipated summer energy shortfall. That plan was later withdrawn, with federal concerns over hurricane safety cited as justification. Since then, allegations of lobbying and political favoritism have surfaced, drawing bipartisan concern in Congress.

In his remarks, Hernández announced that he had joined Chairman Mark Green (R-Tenn.) of the Homeland Security Committee in issuing a bipartisan letter to multiple federal agencies and the Puerto Rico Energy Bureau requesting clarity on their role in the decision.

The speech follows Hernández’s ongoing advocacy for energy reform in Puerto Rico, including his introduction of H.R. 2714, the Puerto Rico Energy Generation Crisis Task Force Act, to coordinate a robust federal and local response.

Click HERE to watch the Resident Commissioner’s speech.

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