Velázquez Demands Transparency on Economic Costs of Power Outages in Puerto Rico, Compensation for Residents

Washington D.C.—Today, Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) wrote a letter to Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm regarding the consequences of the most recent power outages and the need to compensate consumers, including businesses, for their losses.
 
In recent weeks, prolonged energy blackouts in Puerto Rico have impacted hundreds of thousands of island residents during a dangerous heat wave. The blackouts have forced residents to discard spoiled food, medicines, and household appliances. These outages are the latest in a long line of failures of private operators to deliver a stable electrical grid for Puerto Rico.
 
“While the private operators fail to deliver results, the physical, emotional, and economic toll on consumers grows,” wrote Congresswoman Velázquez. “At a minimum, each consumer should be properly compensated for the economic losses they have experienced due to the blackouts. Moreover, there must be increased transparency around the extent of the damage caused by the service interruptions under the private operators.”
 
The letter requests that the Department of Energy (DOE) include Puerto Rico in its Interruption Cost Estimate (ICE) Calculator. This statistical tool would provide the local authorities responsible for overseeing the private operators and the public with critical information.
 
“There is a clear opportunity for the DOE to deepen its commitment to achieving energy justice and reliability on the island,” continued Congresswoman Velázquez. “Lives are at stake, and residents are urgently waiting for the federal support to recover from this energy crisis. Puerto Ricans have suffered significant government neglect over the past few years. It is time to reverse this pattern and take decisive action to hold those responsible for providing quality electrical service accountable.”
 
In her letter Congresswoman Velazquez’s outlines four questions for Secretary Granholm:
 
1.What potential funding sources are available to support the adaptation of the ICE Calculator for Puerto Rico?

2. How can the DOE ensure local private utilities share the most up to date data on power outages and customer impacts in Puerto Rico?

3. What are the current limitations of the ICE Calculator regarding its application to Puerto Rico, and how can these be addressed?

4. What strategies can the DOE employ to engage with local stakeholders, including government officials, utility companies, and community leaders, to ensure their input and collaboration?
 
For a full copy of the letter, click here.