Title: Puerto Rico Faces Power Generation Challenges Despite FEMA’s Refusal to Provide Additional Capacity
Subtitle: Genera PR and Governor Pierluisi emphasize the urgent need for 350 MW to stabilize the country’s power generation capabilities.
Date: [Insert Date]
After the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) recent refusal to increase temporary power generation capacity in Puerto Rico from 350 to 700 megawatts (MW), Genera PR’s spokesperson, Iván Báez, highlighted the company’s commitment to continue with its maintenance program for existing plants. However, Báez emphasized that the additional 350 MW is crucial to stabilize the country’s short-term generation capacity, a viewpoint shared by Governor Pedro Pierluisi, power system operators, and private sector organizations.
Báez reiterated that the request made by the Puerto Rican government was not for an additional 350 MW, but rather to fulfill the original request of 700 MW made after Hurricane Fiona in October last year. He stressed the importance of collaborative efforts between all relevant parties to convince the federal government to reassess its determination and provide the much-needed additional portable megagenerators.
In June, the Electric Power Authority (AEE) initiated operations of three 50 MW mega-generators installed at the Palo Seco plant. Furthermore, four similar-capacity devices are expected to become operational at the San Juan power plant in August. However, El Nuevo Día recently revealed that since Genera PR took over operations on July 1, the available generation has decreased compared to the previous 10 days when PREPA managed the fleet. This reduction has contributed to selective blackouts implemented by LUMA Energy, the transmission and distribution operator, over the past week.
The available capacity between July 1 and 10 averaged around 3,199 MW per day, lower than the 3,335 MW registered from June 21 to 30. The average reserve, which should ideally be around 700 MW, dropped from 421 MW at the end of June to 376 MW in the first days of July. Báez attributed these failures to the deterioration and age of various units at the base plants in Palo Seco, Aguirre, Costa Sur, and San Juan.
Governor Pierluisi expressed his commitment to hold talks regarding this matter and mentioned that Genera PR and LUMA Energy are conducting updated analyses and modeling to be evaluated by FEMA and the Corps of Engineers as part of the original application. The governor urged federal authorities to carefully consider these new data.
While FEMA justified its refusal based on the premise that funds for temporary power generation must respond to damages caused solely by Hurricane Fiona, Genera PR argues that the extreme heat experienced in Puerto Rico is also a significant concern. FEMA covers 90% of the cost of the natural gas supplied by Genera PR’s parent company, New Fortress Energy, for operating the portable generators.
FEMA currently has 150 MW of temporary power operating in Palo Seco, and the agency anticipates that an additional 200 MW will be available in San Juan within the next 30 to 60 days. LUMA Energy, responsible for designing the generation stabilization plan as the electrical system operator, has not yet responded to the situation.
Báez estimated that the generation component will remain unstable until at least next year and reiterated that Genera PR will continue with its plan to improve and replace equipment. Although the company is disappointed with FEMA’s decision, it is determined to address the ongoing issues faced by Puerto Rico’s deteriorated power system.