The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has renewed two emergency orders to support Puerto Rico’s electric grid as the island anticipates higher energy demand and the upcoming 2026 hurricane season. The renewed directives allow the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) to operate key generation units needed for critical capacity, while also speeding up vegetation management efforts intended to prevent outages and strengthen grid reliability.
U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright stated, “The Department of Energy will continue modernizing Puerto Rico’s electric grid to ensure the island achieves long-term resilience and reliability. Renewing these orders ensures critical work moves forward, urgent reliability challenges are addressed, and Puerto Rico’s grid is ready to withstand rising energy demand. Thanks to President Trump, these efforts are delivering real, lasting progress for Puerto Rico.”
DOE’s emergency actions have enabled the restoration of up to 820 MW of baseload generation in Puerto Rico, increasing total systemwide capacity to 6,460 MW. During a recent water crisis, several plants were able to continue operating without water injection, maintaining electricity supply despite difficult conditions.
Vegetation management is a key focus of the renewed orders. Tree limbs or brush falling during storms can damage high-voltage transmission lines, leading to widespread outages or wildfires.
Puerto Rico Governor Jenniffer González-Colón commented on the importance of these measures: “The Department of Energy’s 202(c) emergency orders have been instrumental in preventing the widespread power outages Puerto Rico was expected to face, allowing us to increase our baseload generation capacity and advance grid stability measures. Extending the orders is necessary to continue making progress and I thank President Trump and Secretary Wright for their unwavering commitment to ensure the island has an affordable, reliable supply of energy.”
The new emergency orders are effective from February 10 through May 11, 2026. DOE says it will keep working with Governor González-Colón and local officials so that all residents have access to a stable electric grid.
These actions follow previous DOE interventions issued in May, August, and November 2025 under Section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act. The initial emergency directives permitted specific PREPA generation units to operate under certain conditions while ordering vegetation management along important transmission corridors.
DOE continues broader efforts across U.S. jurisdictions related to energy infrastructure resilience and clean energy investment. For example, in July 2022 DOE announced a $225 million program funded by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for implementing updated building energy codes aimed at improving efficiency and resilience nationwide (https://www.energy.gov/articles/biden-harris-administration-launches-225-million-program-lower-utility-bills-through-more). In addition, DOE has launched more than 140 programs supporting President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative which aims for at least 40% of clean energy investments benefiting disadvantaged communities (https://www.energy.gov/articles/doe-announces-more-140-programs-supporting-president-bidens-justice40-initiative).
These initiatives reflect ongoing federal efforts not only in disaster response but also in promoting long-term improvements in infrastructure and equitable access across U.S. territories.
