Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Friday 1 June 2018
Official: 2 more months to restore power in Puerto Rico

By DANICA COTO related losses, it could
Associated Press claim bankruptcy, Higgins
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) warned. "Puerto Rico was
— It could take up to an- lucky that with this disaster,
other two months to fully re- it was able to get the aid,"
store power in Puerto Rico he said. "This is working out
as crews across the U.S. ter- both opportunistically and
ritory prepare to strengthen financially. ... If you're go-
its electrical grid amid a ing to have to have this cri-
new hurricane season, the sis, this is probably the way
power company director it should happen. I hate to
told The Associated Press say that." Going forward,
on Thursday. Puerto Rico should start
Walter Higgins, the new relying more on liquefied
CEO of Puerto Rico's Elec- natural gas, which in turn
tric Power Authority, said would lead to lower power
the company just awarded bills, Higgins said. Power
a $500 million contract to bills in the U.S. territory are
Florida-based MasTec to roughly twice the average
help with power restoration of those in the U.S. main-
efforts and plans to build a land, although the island
better, more efficient grid. has been reducing its de-
Another $900 million con- pendence on petroleum.
tract was recently award- Higgins said that while coal
ed to Cobra Energy, and Workers of the electric repair brigade remove old cables from a post in San German, Puerto is currently the cheapest
a third contract is still being Rico, Wednesday, May 30, 2018 Associated Press resource to power Puerto
finalized, he said. Rico, he is not in favor of it.
"We all wish we were further wires and transformers as billion in public debt and pany were to simply buy The power company is now
along," he said of efforts to well as smart meters and relies on infrastructure near- the Electric Power Author- finalizing plans to prepare
restore power to the more renewable power sources ly three times older the in- ity, the federal government for the Atlantic hurricane
than 11,000 customers who for an estimated $150 mil- dustry average. The bill has has the right to demand season that starts June 1.
remain in the dark more lion to $160 million. not yet been signed by the it be repaid for the more Higgins said there is still work
than eight months after He said it will take years to governor. than $3.8 billion it has in- to be done to finalize mu-
Hurricane Maria hit Puerto modernize and strength- "The Senate is starting to vested so far in reconstruc- tual aid agreements, which
Rico as a Category 4 storm. en Puerto Rico's electrical modernize Puerto Rico's tion efforts, he said, adding he said should have been
Higgins estimated it could grid, and that it's too early electrical system, a process that the U.S. government done two months ago.
take $5 billion to $8 billion to say what will happen if that should have started has agreed to pay for all Puerto Rico's government
to strengthen the grid and and when the power com- years ago," said opposition emergency power resto- has been sharply criticized
said the islands of Vieques pany or its operations are Sen. Eduardo Bhatia. ration efforts for another for not activating those
and Culebra would be privatized. The island's Sen- Higgins said he feels it three months. agreements until more
first places where the grid ate approved a bill late would be best to privatize In addition, private utilities than a month after Hurri-
would be built to modern Wednesday that would al- the generation of energy cannot get federal aid in cane Maria, which then al-
standards, starting within low for the privatization of and then award one con- the wake of a natural disas- lowed crews from the U.S.
four months. This would in- assets of the Electric Power cession for transmission ter, and if a company were mainland to help restore
clude installing new poles, Authority, which carries $9 and distribution. If a com- unable to deal with storm- power on the island.q
Argentine leader vetoes plan to limit utility rate hikes

Associated Press cannot set rates. In a press ries of austerity measures
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina conference, Macri later aimed at slashing the fiscal
(AP) — Argentina's govern- said that the law effectively deficit.
ment on Thursday vetoed a would have blocked pay- But he has faced large pro-
measure that would have ments for infrastructure and tests after eliminating subsi-
capped increases in gas, other projects. dies on utility rates.
electricity and water rates "It would mean suspend- Many of the votes for the
that have ignited protests ing ... disability payments, measure came from law-
against President Mauricio pensions for retirees, or makers aligned with former
Macri. suspending works nation- President Cristina Fernan-
The bill's goal was to bring wide that provide drinking dez, a Macri rival who is
back subsidies on utilities water, sewage ... improve- now a senator.
and return rates to the lev- ments on the airport so we During her 2007-2015 ad-
els of November 2017. can get more tourists, or ministration, Fernandez
It was approved in the Sen- energy," Macri said. kept energy cheap through In this March 6, 2018 file photo, Argentina's President Mauricio
ate early Thursday by a 37- "I'm the first one who doesn't subsidies even at times of Macri attends a luncheon at the government house Casa
30 vote. want to hike (utilities). spiraling consumer prices. Rosada, in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Cabinet Chief Marcos I wouldn't if we didn't need Opposition lawmakers con- Associated Press
Pena called the law "irre- to. ... I'd like to wave a tend that the law was vi- rates. to show investors that he
sponsible," and said that magic wand and make tal to help Argentines who Political analysts say that will carry on with measures
it was vetoed because it money appear." have been losing purchas- Macri decided to absorb aimed at strengthening Ar-
doesn't respect the con- Since taking office in 2015, ing power due to one of the political cost of vetoing gentina's economy.'q
stitution, since lawmakers Macri has imposed a se- the world's highest inflation the bill because he needs