The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has renewed two emergency orders to support Puerto Rico's electric grid ahead of the 2026 hurricane season and expected increases in energy demand. These actions, which follow similar steps taken in May, August, and November 2025, give the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) continued authority to operate certain generation units and accelerate vegetation management efforts.
According to DOE, these measures are designed to maintain critical power generation capacity, reduce outages, improve long-term reliability of the grid, and limit the costs associated with blackouts. "The Department of Energy will continue modernizing Puerto Rico’s electric grid to ensure the island achieves long-term resilience and reliability," said U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. "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 reports that its emergency interventions have enabled Puerto Rico's government to restore up to 820 megawatts (MW) of baseload generation capacity. This has increased overall systemwide capacity on the island to 6,460 MW. During a recent water crisis, several plants were able to continue operating without water injection, allowing electricity service to remain uninterrupted.
The renewed orders also focus on managing vegetation near high-voltage transmission lines—a common cause of damage during storms due to falling branches or brush—which can result in widespread outages or even wildfires.
Puerto Rico Governor Jenniffer González-Colón stated: "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 orders are effective from February 10 through May 11, 2026. DOE says it will keep working closely with Governor González-Colón and local authorities so that all residents—about 3.2 million people—have access to a secure power grid.
In related initiatives aimed at improving energy infrastructure nationwide and supporting vulnerable communities, DOE previously announced programs such as $225 million for implementing resilient building energy codes funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (https://www.energy.gov/articles/biden-harris-administration-launches-225-million-program-lower-utility-bills-through-more), over $96 million for advancing clean vehicle technologies (https://www.energy.gov/articles/doe-announces-96-million-advancing-clean-vehicle-technologies-reduce-carbon-emissions), and more than 140 programs under President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative targeting disadvantaged areas (https://www.energy.gov/articles/doe-announces-more-140-programs-supporting-president-bidens-justice40-initiative).
BACKGROUND:
DOE first issued two emergency orders under Section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act on May 16, 2025; these allowed specific PREPA generation units additional operational flexibility while directing enhanced vegetation management along key transmission corridors. The department extended these authorizations in August and November before issuing this latest renewal.
