When Jenniffer Gonzalez takes over as Puerto Rico governor on Thursday she should navigate one of many greatest power messes within the US. Her answer: Embrace fossil fuels.
Gonzalez, 48, is proposing the US commonwealth drop a few of its clear power targets in favor of utilizing extra liquefied pure gasoline. An area regulation that requires Puerto Rico to have 100% renewable power by 2050, amongst different commitments, shouldn’t be solely unrealistic however damaging financial exercise, she mentioned in an interview.
“We can not proceed to lose firms due to lack of power, and none of them can work 24-7 in numerous shifts with simply photo voltaic power,” Gonzalez mentioned. “I imagine that we should always diversify our power basket.”
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Power is an important subject in Puerto Rico, the place a derelict grid devastated by pure disasters and mismanagement results in frequent blackouts and costly electrical energy. Gonzalez mentioned the scenario is so dangerous that dangers the island’s pharmaceutical and medical-device manufacturing sectors, which symbolize nearly half the economic system.
Gonzalez vowed to scrutinize the offers that put the Puerto Rico grid underneath personal administration however did not curb blackouts. On the marketing campaign path, she threatened to revoke the contract of Luma Power, a US-Canadian consortium that has been operating the island’s transmission community since 2021.
Now, relying on what a committee she put collectively concludes, Gonzalez mentioned she would possibly herald one other personal operator to interchange Luma, or cut up the contract amongst a number of totally different firms.
“My impression,” she mentioned, “is Luma did a contract with the island with out the assets to satisfy that contract.”
Solely 7% of Puerto Rico’s energy comes from renewable sources regardless of 2019 laws that set formidable targets for clear power adoption, together with 40% use by 2025. On the time, lawmakers anticipated to make use of federal assets to rebuild the island’s grid to prioritize renewables, particularly photo voltaic.
Gonzalez says the targets are getting in the best way of different, cheaper, types of power and have slowed using some $17 billion in federal help.
“I’m prepared to revise no matter laws is obtainable to safe energy that dramatically reduces the outages we’re struggling,” she mentioned.
Gonzalez’s proposals underscore a broader pushback in opposition to clear power.
President elect Donald Trump promised to prioritize fossil gas extraction and put an finish the “inexperienced new rip-off” of renewable power insurance policies set by his predecessor. Different US utilities have been scaling again their carbon discount targets and delaying the retirement of coal vegetation.
Whereas pushing for extra pure gasoline, Gonzalez mentioned she favors permitting particular person photo voltaic prospects to promote energy again to the grid. The coverage, known as net-metering, has led to a increase in rooftop photo voltaic installations in Puerto Rico however it’s being challenged in court docket by the federal oversight board who runs the island’s funds.
“I’m very a lot in favor of net-metering,” she mentioned. “In the event you take away the one incentive individuals have, then no one’s going to spend money on photo voltaic power.”
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