The Trump administration said Wednesday it is redirecting $365 million intended to expand rooftop solar and storage in Puerto Rico to the island’s unreliable power grid.
The Biden administration had planned to use the funds, which were part of the $1 billion that Congress allocated for Puerto Rico in the 2022 omnibus bill, to pay for solar and battery storage installations at community health care facilities and certain multifamily housing properties. It was part of an effort to wean Puerto Ricans off their dependence on the fossil fuel-based power grid, which is prone to power outages.
But the Trump Energy Department, which announced it was reviewing the funding, said in a statement Wednesday the funds now “will be deployed to support practical fixes and emergency activities that offer a faster, more impactful solution to the current crisis, benefiting critical facilities like hospitals and community centers.”
The Trump administration’s move has won the support of Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González-Colón, an ally of President Donald Trump.
