Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 12 april 2018

U.S. scrutinizes power restoration efforts in Puerto Rico

By DANICA COTO
Associated Press
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico
(AP) — Federal officials
told a congressional hear-
ing Wednesday that they
expect to have a plan by
June on how to strengthen
and stabilize Puerto Rico's
electrical grid.
The initial estimated cost
to rebuild the U.S. territory's
power grid is $17.6 billion,
but that number could
change, Bruce Walker, an
assistant secretary with the
U.S. Department of Energy,
said at the hearing held in
Washington by the House
Subcommittee on Over-
sight and Investigations.
Walker said officials are
looking at integrating re-
newable energy sources
and building micro grids
around industrial sites,
noting that Puerto Rico is
heavily dependent on im-
ported fuel and that manu-
facturing represents nearly In this Oct. 19, 2017 file photo, homes in the Cantera area are covered with FEMA tarps, where buildings from the Hato Rey area
50 percent of the island's stand in the background in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
economy. Associated Press
He said crews already have
installed concrete poles is little effort being made outages remain common legislators asked whether Eugene Shlatz, an energy
and taken other measures to modernize the grid or even in areas where elec- that date would change if management consultant
to make the system sturdier otherwise increase its re- tricity has been restored. there were still customers with Chicago-based Navi-
as hurricane season ap- silience," said Rep. Diana Nearly 900 of the more than without power, Alexander gant Consulting, Inc., said
proaches. DeGette, a Democrat from 2,000 generators installed replied, "We're going to do his priority would be to en-
"Those are very, very quick Colorado. "If we don't re- in Puerto Rico are still in op- our best." sure the island's transmis-
wins," he said. "You don't build to a higher degree ... eration as well as four of 10 The federal government sion grid is up to standard
just build a grid overnight." we're going to be seeing micro grids, including one will share 90 percent of the and can withstand a Cat-
Walker acknowledged a repeat of this over and commissioned Tuesday cost for permanent work on egory 4 hurricane.
there have been no actual over again." in the nearby island of Vi- Puerto Rico's power grid, "Although being rebuilt
upgrades to the system yet Hurricane Maria hit Puerto eques, said Ray Alexander, said Jeff Byard, associate well, (it) may still be quite
because officials are still Rico as a Category 4 storm director of contingency administrator for the Fed- susceptible to hurricane
in emergency restoration Sept. 20, knocking power operations and homeland eral Emergency Manage- damage in the future," he
mode after the damage of out to the entire island and security with the U.S. Army ment Agency's Office of warned.
Hurricane Maria. causing the longest loss of Corps of Engineers. Response and Recovery. In Shlatz also recommend-
Legislators worry the grid power in U.S. history. Offi- The agency is oversee- addition, the Department ed installing underground
will not be strong enough cials say up to 75 percent of ing federal power restora- of Housing and Urban De- power lines, relocating
to sustain another storm distribution lines were dam- tion efforts in Puerto Rico velopment announced on high-voltage transmission
despite the federal funds aged by high winds and and has more than 1,100 Tuesday that up to $2 bil- lines along existing high-
invested so far as the Atlan- flooding. More than 50,000 personnel on the island, lion of $18.5 billion in disas- ways instead of leaving
tic hurricane season begins power customers are still including 900 contractors, ter recovery grants to help them in hard-to-reach ter-
June 1. in the dark nearly seven but it is scheduled to start rebuild Puerto Rico will go rain, and installing flood
"It appears to me that there months later, and power withdrawing May 18. When toward the grid. barriers at substations.q