A House Natural Resources subcommittee will get an update on Puerto Rico’s energy woes this week seven years after Hurricane Maria hit.
The U.S. territory’s grid remains unstable after the Category 5 storm destroyed it. And generation shortfalls have contributed to rolling blackouts in recent weeks.
The issue is prominent now not only because of the ongoing problems and the hurricane’s anniversary, but because it’s a major point of contention in the gubernatorial race, with pro-statehood candidate Jenniffer González-Colón in the lead.
“We are writing to express our deep concern over the ongoing power outages in Puerto Rico, which have left many residents without electricity for extended periods,” González-Colón and Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) wrote in a June letter to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm.
