ICYMI: Secretary Granholm Announces $450 Million Investment in Solar & Battery Storage in Puerto Rico

San Juan, Puerto Rico – This week, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm announced the Biden Administration has invested $450 million in residential rooftop solar PV and battery storage installations in Puerto Rico to support the territory’s most vulnerable residents. Through this investment, Puerto Ricans will see increased grid resilience, lower energy bills for up to 40,000 households, and job creation and training opportunities for those in disadvantaged communities. 

This summer, Puerto Rico has faced excessive heat conditions, enduring days that have felt as hot as 125 degrees Fahrenheit. As a result, tens of thousands of residents have been left without power in Puerto Rico—all while residents become more and more vulnerable to heat exhaustion and strokes.  

In December 2022, President Biden signed the Fiscal Year 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act into law, which established the PR-ERF to improve energy resilience for Puerto Rico’s most vulnerable communities and support the territory in meeting its goal of 100% renewable energy by 2050. Today’s announcement marks the first investment through the PR-ERF and will incentivize the installation of 30,000–40,000 solar PV and battery storage systems for very low-income single-family households.