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WORLD NEWS Friday 4 February 2022
U.S. to modernize, speed up work on Puerto Rico power grid

By DÁNICA COTO The deal also marks the
Associated Press launch of a two-year study
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) funded by the U.S. Federal
— Three federal agencies Emergency Management
promised Wednesday to Agency that will include
help modernize Puerto Ri- public participation to help
co's outage-plagued pow- determine the best way for
er grid and speed up efforts Puerto Rico to reach 40%
to strengthen it more than renewable energy by 2025
four years after Hurricane and 100% renewable ener-
Maria razed it. gy by 2050, a priority of the
More than $12 billion in administration of U.S. Presi-
federal recovery funds are dent Joe Biden.
available, and a portion of Kunkel praised those ef-
that will help finance doz- forts, adding that her or-
ens of grid modernization ganization commissioned
projects scheduled to start a study that found Puerto
this year, said the U.S. De- Rico can realistically reach
partment of Housing and 75% renewable energy by
Urban Development, which 2035.
signed the agreement with "It's absolutely feasible," she
Puerto Rico's government said in a phone interview.
along with the U.S. depart- Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority workers repair distribution lines damaged by Hurricane Maria "It's a question of politics."
ments of Homeland Secu- in the Cantera community of San Juan, Puerto Rico, Oct. 19, 2017. She noted Puerto Rico's
rity and Energy. Associated Press outdated generation sys-
In addition, more than $1.9 tem is 97% based on fossil
billion will be used to im- lights and the creation of Atlantic hurricane season dence on petroleum, with fuels.
prove the island's power an early warning system for starts. the island's power compa- The deal also calls for the
system, including the cre- dams. "It's very much needed," ny slated to sign contracts U.S. Energy Department
ation of small and large The announcement comes said Cathy Kunkel, ener- for at least 2 gigawatts of and one of its laboratories
microgrids with the aim to as Puerto Rico's Electric gy program manager for renewable energy and 1 to develop a tool ahead
help lower income house- Power Authority struggles CAMBIO, a Puerto Rico- gigawatt of energy stor- of the June 1 start of the
holds. to emerge from bankrupt- based environmental orga- age projects. Officials said hurricane season com-
Officials said more than 130 cy and restructure some nization. "The electrical sys- Puerto Rico is finalizing ne- bining models of Puerto
projects soon will be in the $9 billion in debt as power tem is still very fragile and gotiations on several initial Rico's electric system and
bidding phase or under outages continue to hit the there are a lot of problems projects, including one that hurricane forecasting to
construction, including re- U.S. territory of 3.2 million with blackouts." would provide 844 mega- help the island prepare for
pairs to substations across people, with many wor- The agreement signed with watts of renewable energy storms and speed up emer-
Puerto Rico, the replace- ried about the state of the the U.S. territory also aims to and 220 megawatts of en- gency response, officials
ment of thousands of street grid four months before the lessen Puerto Rico's depen- ergy storage. said.q

Mexico plans state lithium company, questions Chinese mine

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexi- private lithium mine in the already granted in Mexico
co's president said Wednes- northern state of Sonora would be respected as
day he will create a state- that involves a Chinese long as they were well on
owned company to mine company would not be al- the way to producing the
lithium and appeared to lowed to start production. metal. López Hernández
suggest he will seek to can- "What they want to do is to said at the time that only
cel one of the few existing continue looting and that is one private mining com-
permits held by a Chinese over. We are going to take pany met those criteria.
company. legal steps," López Obrador Though he didn't name the
President Andrés Manuel said. mine, he apparently re-
López Obrador had said in Asked specifically if that ferred to Bacanora Lithium,
October that he wants to meant the mine would be a project hoping to pro-
declare lithium a "strategic blocked from operating, duce 35,000 tons of lithium
mineral" and reserve future López Obrador said, "Lithi- annually starting in 2023.
exploration and mining to um is going to be mined by López Obrador suggested
the government. Lithium is the government." the concession was illegally Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador gives his dai-
ly, morning news conference at the presidential palace, Palacio
a key component of bat- That operation, Bacanora granted by a previous ad- Nacional, in Mexico City, Dec. 18, 2020.
teries. Lithium, is Mexico's only vi- ministration, saying that Associated Press
It hadn't been clear if he able private lithium mine, "this warrants an investiga-
would rely on private com- and had been expected tion into who gave these change Mexico's constitu- much of the framework of
panies to do the work, to start production in 2023. permits, this authorization." tion to strengthen govern- private sector openings in
which Mexico has no expe- It is currently owned by Chi- The declaration of lithium ment control over electric- Mexico's electrical power
rience in. But López Obra- nese lithium giant Ganfeng as a "strategic mineral" re- ity production and distribu- market, giving the state-
dor said Wednesday that a International. served for the state must still tion. It requires a two-thirds owned utility a guarantee
newly created government In October, Interior Secre- be adopted. The change is majority in both houses of majority market share and
company will do the min- tary Adán López Hernán- contained in legislation that Congress and a majority of allowing it to buy power
ing and processing. dez had said the eight con- López Obrador has sent to state legislatures. from private plants if it so
The president also said a cessions for mining lithium Congress that also would The bill would eliminate chooses. q