Grijalva Applauds Announcement of DOE Funding Awards for Rooftop Solar for Vulnerable Families in Puerto Rico
Washington, D.C. – House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today issued the following statement on the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) announcement of recipients for $440 million in funding for rooftop solar and battery storage in Puerto Rico. The funding will support rooftop solar and battery storage systems for 30,000-40,000 vulnerable households on the island.
“The Department of Energy is on pace to provide resilient, reliable power to tens of thousands of low-income households and households with people with disabilities in Puerto Rico as soon as the next hurricane season,” Ranking Member Grijalva said. “I’m grateful to Secretary Granholm for her dedication to getting these resources to the families who need them most. The Biden administration stands to make a real, even lifesaving, difference for the people of Puerto Rico.”
BACKGROUND
In the aftermath of hurricanes and other natural disasters in recent years, solar power has helped many residents and businesses in Puerto Rico keep the lights on. For those with electric medical devices or medications requiring refrigeration, including people with disabilities, a reliable source of power can be lifesaving.
In October 2022, Ranking Member Grijalva led a 38-member letter to then-Appropriations Committee Chair Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) and then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) requesting federal funding for rooftop solar and battery storage for low-income households and households with disabilities in Puerto Rico.
Following that request, the FY2023 government funding omnibus bill included $1 billion to establish DOE’s Puerto Rico Energy Resilience Fund to improve the resilience of Puerto Rico’s electric grid by purchasing and installing renewable energy, energy storage and other grid technologies for residents who are low-income or have a disability.
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