Energy Secretary Continues Progress to Strengthen Energy Reliability in Puerto Rico
WASHINGTON— The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today renewed two emergency orders to support continued improvements to Puerto Rico’s electric grid as the island faces rising energy demand and the ongoing 2026 hurricane season. Building on previous actions in 2025 and 2026, the renewed emergency orders authorize the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) to dispatch generation units essential for maintaining critical generation capacity, while continuing vegetation management to reduce outages, strengthen long-term grid reliability, and minimize the risk of blackouts.
“The Department of Energy will continue advancing the modernization of Puerto Rico’s electric grid to build a more affordable, reliable, and secure energy system for hardworking American families and businesses,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. “Renewing these orders ensures critical work moves forward, urgent reliability changes are addressed, and Puerto Rico’s grid is ready to withstand rising energy demand. Thanks to President Trump, these efforts are delivering real, lasting progress for Puerto Rico.”
The emergency orders help ensure the continued delivery of electricity to Puerto Ricans amid unforeseen conditions. The orders also address vegetation management issues near power lines. Falling tree limbs or brush during Puerto Rico’s frequent storms and high winds can damage transmission lines, cause widespread outages, and potentially cause wildfires.
“During the last 19 months, thanks to the partnership and support of President Trump and Secretary Wright, we have made measurable progress to strengthen Puerto Rico’s electric system. The Department of Energy’s Section 202(c) orders have been an essential component of that work, providing the emergency authorities needed to restore or refurbish close to 1,600 megawatts of generation capacity since they were first issued in May 2025. During that same period, the number of approved federal vegetation clearing projects has increased from 5 to 33, giving us access to critical resources to reestablish rights-of-way along transmission and distribution lines and help reduce service interruptions. Renewing these emergency orders is critical to build on this progress and deliver an affordable, reliable, and secure electric grid for families and businesses on the island,” said Puerto Rico Governor Jenniffer González-Colón.
The renewed orders are in effect beginning on August 10, 2026, through November 7, 2026. DOE will continue working closely with Governor González-Colón and local authorities to ensure Puerto Rico’s 3.2 million Americans have access to a reliable and secure electric grid.
Background:
On May 16, 2025, DOE issued two emergency orders to PREPA under Section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act that allowed specific generation units to operate under certain conditions while directing vegetation management along key transmission lines.
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