The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has renewed two emergency orders to support Puerto Rico’s electric grid as the island anticipates increased energy demand and the 2026 hurricane season. These actions continue previous efforts from May, August, and November 2025, authorizing the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) to operate key generation units and intensify vegetation management near transmission lines.
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 reports that its emergency measures have helped restore up to 820 megawatts (MW) of baseload generation capacity in Puerto Rico, increasing total systemwide generation capacity to 6,460 MW. During a recent water crisis, some power plants continued operating without water injection, maintaining electricity supply under challenging conditions.
Vegetation management remains a priority due to frequent storms and high winds on the island. Overgrown trees and brush can damage high-voltage lines during severe weather events, leading to outages or even wildfires.
Puerto Rico Governor Jenniffer González-Colón commented on the DOE’s ongoing support: “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 renewed emergency orders are effective from February 10 through May 11, 2026. The DOE plans continued collaboration with local authorities to help ensure reliable electricity for Puerto Rico’s approximately 3.2 million residents.
In addition to direct interventions in Puerto Rico’s grid stability, the DOE has launched multiple initiatives aimed at improving energy resilience nationwide. For example, on July 21, 2022, it announced a $225 million program funded by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that supports implementation of updated building energy codes across the country (https://www.energy.gov/articles/biden-harris-administration-launches-225-million-program-lower-utility-bills-through-more). Another program introduced in July 2022 identified more than 140 federal programs supporting disadvantaged communities under President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative (https://www.energy.gov/articles/doe-announces-more-140-programs-supporting-president-bidens-justice40-initiative).
BACKGROUND:
On May 16, 2025, DOE issued two emergency orders under Section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act enabling specific PREPA generation units to operate under certain conditions while requiring vegetation management along key transmission corridors. These orders were previously renewed in August and November of that year.
