U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm speaks with Casa Pueblo leaders in Adjuntas, Puerto Rico, March 29, 2023. REUTERS/Gabriella N. Baez/File photo with permission
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Biden administration is in talks with Puerto Rico’s solar companies and nonprofits to provide up to $440 million in funding for rooftop solar and storage systems in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, where recent storms have knocked out power from the grid. The ministry said on Thursday.
The awards will be the first tranche of a $1 billion fund included in legislation signed by President Joe Biden at the end of 2022 to improve the energy resilience of Puerto Rico’s most vulnerable households and communities and help the U.S. territory meet its 2050 goals. Goal: 100%. renewable energy sources by year.
Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm has visited the island several times to talk about the fund and promote development in Puerto Rico. Grid for town halls of cities and remote villages.
The Energy Department has begun discussions with three companies: Generac Power Systems (GNRPS.UL), Sunnova Energy (NOVA.N) and Sunrun (RUN.O), which could receive a total of $400 million in funding to deploy residential solar and battery systems. .
Nonprofits and cooperatives, including Barrio Electrico and the Environmental Defense Fund, could receive a total of $40 million in funding.
Rooftop solar panels combined with battery storage can increase independence from the central grid while reducing emissions that contribute to climate change.
Hurricane Maria knocked out Puerto Rico’s power grid in 2017 and killed 4,600 people, the study said. Older and low-income communities are the hardest hit. Some mountain towns remained without electricity for 11 months.
In September 2022, the weaker Hurricane Fiona knocked out the power grid again, heightening concerns about the fragility of the existing system dominated by fossil fuel power plants.
Based in Washington, D.C., Timothy covers energy and environmental policy, ranging from the latest developments in nuclear power and environmental regulations to U.S. sanctions and geopolitics. He was a member of three teams that won the Reuters News of the Year Award in the past two years. As a cyclist, he is happiest outside. Contact: +1 202-380-8348
The U.S. Forest Service wants to allow carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects on national forest lands under proposed rules the agency released Friday.
The Biden administration said Monday it will invest $2 billion in 150 federal construction projects in 39 states that use materials that minimize carbon emissions, the latest effort to harness the government’s purchasing power to combat climate change.
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