Biden administration to pay $440M to install solar panels in Puerto Rico

The Biden administration announced Thursday that it will pay $440 million to install solar panels in Puerto Rico. 

The Department of Energy (DOE) made the announcement Thursday, saying that the funding will lower energy costs for 30,000 to 40,000 single-family households in Puerto Rico and help improve the resilience of energy sources. 

“This funding will also support thousands of local clean energy jobs, help achieve President Biden’s goal of lowering energy costs for all Americans, as well as help Puerto Rico achieve its goal of 100 percent renewable energy by 2050. DOE anticipates the first installations will begin in Spring 2024,” the announcement states. 

Homes eligible for solar panel installations include those located in very low-income neighborhoods that experience frequent and long-term power outages or those that include a resident with an energy-dependent disability, like an electric wheelchair user or someone who needs an at-home dialysis machine.

“With this announcement, we take a critical step forward in our efforts to ensure that all Puerto Rico residents have reliable electricity, especially the most vulnerable families and communities for whom a lack of power can be life or death,” Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said. “Plain and simple, this investment will save lives, all while providing local, good-paying jobs and advancing Puerto Rico’s clean energy transition.”

The Department of Energy selected three companies and five nonprofits and cooperations to install the solar panels. The department noted that there is an existing workforce in Puerto Rico for all of the corporations to install the panels.

Puerto Rico has a long-standing history of power problems. Hurricane Fiona last year left millions of Puerto Ricans without power for several days. The problems are largely due to an electric grid that has not been fully rebuilt after the destruction of Hurricane Maria, leaving residents susceptible to power outages.