Outgoing Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm made her final trip to Puerto Rico on Friday to promote solar energy on the island after the grid failed on New Year's Eve. [emphasis, links added]
Granholm heads to Puerto Rico on Friday “Provide residents with an update on the Biden-Harris administration's efforts to support the restoration and modernization of Puerto Rico's energy infrastructure,” after the island's power grid failed and plunged most Puerto Ricans into darkness on New Year's Eve.
During the trip, Granholm touted government efforts and spending to bring solar energy to Puerto Rico, despite previous warnings from many electricity market experts that overreliance on intermittent solar could undermine the long-term reliability of the grid.
“Following the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria in 2017, the Biden administration has taken historic action to accelerate the rebuilding of Puerto Rico's power grid. Release billions of dollars in disaster recovery funds withheld between 2017 and 2020,” read an email sent to reporters Wednesday informing them of Granholm's trip and travel agenda.
“Additionally, the Biden administration’s Invest in America agenda is Helping Puerto Rico’s most vulnerable residents access cheaper, more resilient solar and battery storage Through programs such as the Solar Access Program and the Resilient Communities Program.
The White House released a “fact sheet” on Friday outlining the government's efforts to shore up Puerto Rico's hurricane-ravaged power grid and touting initiatives such as billions of dollars from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to support grid resilience, More than $1 billion in conditional or approved taxpayer-funded loans to fund solar projects on the island etc.
Yet despite these efforts, Puerto Rico's power grid failed, and as Puerto Ricans prepared to ring in 2025, an old underground cable reportedly failed, nearly plunging the entire country into darkness.
A notification email sent to reporters ahead of the trip noted that Granholm will participate in three events open to the media during the trip, including a news conference and meetings with local homeowners and Puerto Rican community leaders.
Granholm's recent visit to Puerto Rico was her tenth trip to the island as energy secretarycongressional Republicans criticized Granholm's frequent trips to the island in an April 2023 letter. The Energy Department did not respond to a request for comment.
Read the break from The Daily Caller
