For immediate release: May 6, 2025
Contact: Media@hispanicfederation.org
Hispanic Federation Calls on the Governor of Puerto Rico to Defend the Funds to Invest in Resilient Energy Options for Health Centers
$365 million was allocated in December to strengthen essential energy infrastructure focused on reaching vulnerable communities, including supporting health centers
San Juan, PR – Yesterday, the Governor of Puerto Rico, Jenniffer González, was quoted saying that her administration was working with the Department of Energy to change how $365 million in funding for the Puerto Rico Energy Resilience Fund (PERF) would be utilized in Puerto Rico. In December 2024, four teams were selected by the DOE, including Hispanic Federation, to receive the funds and install solar panels in health centers and common areas located in public housing and in multifamily subsidized housing. The Governor is proposing reallocating the funds to the grid, which already has billions assigned. In reaction to the proposed change, Hispanic Federation shared the following:
“The Puerto Rico Energy Resilience Fund was originally designed to provide resilient energy options for vulnerable communities and the health centers that they rely on, where dialysis or respirators machines are powered. Two island wide blackouts in four months reaffirms the importance of fast solutions that address ongoing medical needs of communities in Puerto Rico, including the thousands of people whose lives are at risk whenever there is a blackout,” said Frankie Miranda, President and CEO of Hispanic Federation. “It is deeply concerning that the governor is even entertaining a potential reallocation of funds with the DOE, particularly when thousands of people in Puerto Rico are one blackout away from a life altering situation. It is even more alarming that we are seeing such a change in position given that the governor defended this program when she was resident commissioner and at the beginning of her administration this year. We must assure that vulnerable communities have access to reliable energy now. There is no time to waste,”
“We understand the importance of stabilizing the energy grid in Puerto Rico, but there already exists a federal allocation of $18 billion for that purpose that has yet to be spent while blackouts continue to increase. That is why it is even more frustrating that the DOE and the governor are advocating taking away the relatively small pot dedicated to providing resilient solar energy for communities most at risk using the grid as an excuse. These two priorities should not compete. Congress approved the resilience fund with the specific purpose of urgently addressing the energy needs of the most vulnerable while we wait for Puerto Rico to achieve the energy grid’s long-term recovery and transformation. We know from experience that rooftop solar energy with batteries is an accepted, fast, and proven solution for that purpose. Until the DOE makes their final decision regarding these funds, the governor should stay firm and defend effective solutions like this to protect our communities rather than give in prematurely to pressure from Washington, DC,” said Charlotte Gossett Navarro, Puerto Rico Chief Director of Hispanic Federation.
Additional Background:
The Puerto Rico Energy Resilience Fund (PRERF) was established with $1 billion from Congress and signed by President Biden in December of 2022 to effectively address the energy needs of the most vulnerable populations in Puerto Rico, such as low-income people and people who depend on medical equipment that needs energy or batteries for a medical condition or disability. PRERF is an important legacy of Congressman Raul Grijalva, may he rest in peace. While she served as Resident Commissioner in Congress, now Governor Jeniffer Gonzalez also actively supported the creation of the fund.
The Department of Energy administers the fund, and from 2023 until 2024, the agency led a participatory process in Puerto Rico to determine the use of these funds. With an investment of up to $365 million in summer 20204, the DOE announced the Resilient Communities Program, which aims to improve community-level energy resilience for vulnerable populations across Puerto Rico. The program funds solar and battery storage installations for community healthcare facilities, community centers, and other common areas within public housing and privately owned subsidized multifamily properties.
In December 2024, the DOE announced four Puerto Rico-based teams selected to install solar and battery storage systems through the program. Hispanic Federation leads a group that includes the Primary Healthcare Association of Puerto Rico and the University of Puerto Rico—Mayaguez. The group focuses on installing solar panels at federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) in Puerto Rico through an investment of up to $58 million. FQHCs provide critical health services for more than 467k, mostly low-income patients, per year in Puerto Rico. They operate 115 clinics, including mobile units and school sites, in 69 municipalities.
The DOE has been delaying the award negotiation process for months, which has also delayed the implementation of this important program.
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Hispanic Federation (HF) is a nonprofit membership and advocacy organization, founded in 1990, committed to empowering and advancing the Hispanic community, with a focus on low-income, marginalized, and immigrant Latinos. With programs in 43 states, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia, HF’s focus areas include immigration, economic empowerment, civic engagement, disaster relief, philanthropy, education, health, and the environment. HF also maintains ongoing public education campaigns and meets the organizational development needs of its member agencies through grant-making and capacity-building assistance.
