11.18.22

Chair Grijalva Cheers Biden Administration’s Funding Request for Rooftop Solar in Puerto Rico

Washington, D.C. – House Natural Resources Committee Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today issued the following statement on the Biden administration’s request to Congress for $3 billion in emergency supplemental funding to provide rooftop solar and storage for low-income households and household with persons with disabilities in Puerto Rico. The funding would be administered by the Department of Energy (DOE).

“The people of Puerto Rico have been battered by natural disaster after natural disaster, and their unreliable electrical grid is only making matters worse,” said Chair Grijalva. “Equipping the most vulnerable households with rooftop solar could quite literally save lives. These families deserve the same access to energy security as the people who are already buying solar panels and batteries in droves. I thank the Biden administration for taking this important step and encourage my colleagues in Congress to finish the job by putting it into law.”

On Oct. 11, Chair Grijalva led a letter signed by 37 other members of Congress to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House Appropriations Committee Chair Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) requesting funding for rooftop solar and storage solutions in Puerto Rico. The request received support from DOE Secretary Jennifer Granholm and Gov. Pedro Pierluisi. On Nov. 15, Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) sent a 13-member letter to Senate Leadership and the Senate Appropriations Committee echoing the request.

The reliability of solar power and batteries in Puerto Rico, especially during a crisis, is proven. During the recent island-wide blackout caused by Hurricane Fiona, for example, households and businesses equipped with solar-powered generation and storage were able to restore power before those relying on the grid for energy.

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