The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has renewed two emergency orders aimed at reinforcing Puerto Rico’s electric grid ahead of the island’s peak demand season and potential storm threats.
Building on previous directives issued in May and August 2025, the latest orders authorize the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) to continue dispatching essential generation units needed to sustain critical power capacity. The orders also accelerate vegetation management initiatives to prevent outages and enhance long-term grid reliability.
“Modernizing Puerto Rico’s energy grid is essential to achieving long-term reliability and affordability for the Commonwealth,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. “Our team is working with local and federal partners to boost power generation and accelerate vegetation management efforts to strengthen Puerto Rico’s electrical grid. The Trump Administration is fully committed to delivering affordable, reliable and secure energy to all Americans.”
According to DOE, its recent emergency actions have helped restore up to 820 MW of baseload generation capacity this year — a 13% increase in the island’s total generation capacity of 6,460 MW. With DOE funding, PREPA successfully brought a critical generation unit back online after being offline for over two years.
The emergency orders also focus on mitigating vegetation-related risks to high-voltage transmission lines — a leading cause of power outages and wildfire hazards during Puerto Rico’s frequent storms.
Puerto Rico Governor Jenniffer González-Colón welcomed the renewal, emphasizing the tangible impact of DOE’s 202(c) emergency measures. “These orders have provided concrete benefits for Puerto Rico, allowing us to restore 1,200 MW of baseload generation capacity and perform critical vegetation control activities. Maintaining these protocols will help stabilize our power system,” she said. “I thank Secretary Wright for prioritizing Puerto Rico’s energy resilience and look forward to continued collaboration with the Trump Administration.”
The renewed emergency orders will remain in effect from November 13, 2025, through February 10, 2026. DOE stated it will continue to coordinate closely with Governor González-Colón and local agencies to ensure reliable, secure power for Puerto Rico’s 3.2 million residents.
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