The Department of Energy (DOE) has extended emergency orders aimed at improving the electric grid in Puerto Rico. The extension allows ongoing work to address persistent reliability issues, especially as the island enters a period of high electricity demand during the summer.
The emergency orders, first issued in May 2025, have enabled Puerto Rico’s government to make repairs and upgrades to its fragile power system. DOE officials say that extending these measures is necessary for continued progress.
“A reliable and secure power grid is essential for modern life, and the residents of Puerto Rico deserve solutions now. Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, we are able to take action, moving from years of instability toward measurable, lasting progress,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. “By extending these orders, DOE is ensuring critical work continues, urgent energy reliability needs are addressed, and the grid is more prepared to withstand the most demanding stretch of hurricane season for the 3.2 million Americans who call Puerto Rico home.”
Puerto Rico Governor Jenniffer González-Colón expressed support for DOE’s decision: “I thank Secretary Wright and strongly support the Department of Energy’s extension of the 202(c) emergency orders for Puerto Rico, which have provided needed flexibilities to maintain sufficient power generation capacity and conduct vegetation control activities along critical transmission lines. The Trump Administration’s close collaboration and commitment to stabilize and rebuild our power grid has been unprecedented and is already yielding results,” she said. “I look forward to building on this momentum and continue partnering with President Trump and Secretary Wright as we strengthen Puerto Rico’s electrical system and ensure an affordable, reliable, and secure supply of energy for the island’s 3.2 million Americans.”
Puerto Rico’s electric grid has suffered from decades of deferred maintenance, limited investment, bankruptcy by its system owner, as well as damage from hurricanes and earthquakes. Full recovery will take years; however, authorities report that efforts are underway to improve both reliability and resilience.
With hurricane season approaching its historically most intense phase, DOE is continuing two previous 202(c) emergency orders: one directs the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) to keep dispatching necessary generation units; another requires PREPA to perform vegetation management along key transmission lines. These extensions will be in effect from August 15 through November 12.
DOE states it will continue working with local leaders including Governor González-Colón to further stabilize Puerto Rico’s electric infrastructure.
On May 16 this year, DOE had issued two initial emergency orders under section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act authorizing PREPA both to operate certain generation units under specific conditions for a limited time period and carry out vegetation control activities intended to reduce outages caused by plant growth interfering with transmission lines.
