House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR), Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Subcommittee on Energy Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI), Ranking Member Bobby Rush (D-IL), Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chairman Gregg Harper (R-MS), and Ranking Member Diana DeGette (D-CO), today sent a letter to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Benjamin Carson.
In their letter, members encourage Secretary Carson to ensure funds made available through Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery funding (CDBG-DR) are used to modernize Puerto Rico’s electric grid. The members write, “As HUD prepares a notice of funding for grantees on Puerto Rico, we encourage you to incorporate forward-looking improvements and mechanisms to reconstruct and transform the electric power system to one that is more resilient, cost-effective, reliable, stable, clean, efficient, and affordable."
The members conclude, “Congress remains committed to providing Puerto Rico with the necessary resources to rebuild and recover, especially with respect to ensuring a reliable and cost-effective electric grid. Reliable, affordable power is fundamental to the Commonwealth’s long-term economic success and all aspects of life on Puerto Rico. Therefore, it is critically important that CDBG-DR funds for improvements and enhancements for Puerto Rico’s electric system effectively strengthen and modernize Puerto Rico’s electric grid to withstand potential storms of the future."
