Outgoing Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm took one last trip to Puerto Rico on Friday to promote solar power on the island after its power grid failed on New Year’s Eve.
Granholm ventured to Puerto Rico on Friday “to provide residents with an update on the Biden-Harris administration’s efforts to support the recovery and modernization of Puerto Rico’s energy infrastructure” after the island’s power grid failed and left most Puerto Ricans in the dark on New Year’s Eve. On the trip, Granholm promoted the administration’s efforts and spending to bring solar power to Puerto Rico, even though many power market experts have previously warned that over-reliance on intermittent solar power can erode long-term grid reliability.
“The Biden Administration has taken historic action to accelerate the reconstruction of Puerto Rico’s grid following the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria in 2017 by unlocking billions of dollars in disaster recovery funds, which had been held back between 2017 and 2020,” reads a Wednesday email to reporters notifying them of Granholm’s travel and agenda for the trip. “Additionally, the Biden Administration’s Investing in America agenda is helping Puerto Rico’s most vulnerable residents access cheaper, more resilient solar power and battery storage through programs like the Programa Acceso Solar and Programa de Comunidades Resilientes.”
I’m on my 10th and final visit to Puerto Rico as Energy Secretary. Meeting with community members + leaders here has been a heartfelt experience. Proud of the Biden Administration’s progress & hopeful for continued efforts to build the resilient, modern grid Puerto Rico deserves. pic.twitter.com/EbievUOPJT
— Secretary Jennifer Granholm (@SecGranholm) January 10, 2025
The White House published a “fact sheet” on Friday outlining the administration’s work to shore up Puerto Rico’s hurricane-battered power grid, touting initiatives like billions of Federal Emergency Management Agency dollars to support grid resilience, more than $1 billion in conditional or approved taxpayer-funded loans to finance solar projects on the island and more. However, the Puerto Rican power grid failed despite these efforts when an old underground cable reportedly malfunctioned and plunged nearly the entire country into darkness as its people prepared to ring in 2025.
The notice email sent to reporters ahead of the trip specified that Granholm would partake in three events open to the media while on the trip, including a press conference and meetings with a local homeowner and Puerto Rican community leaders.
Granholm’s most recent trip to Puerto Rico marked her tenth sojourn to the island since becoming energy secretary, and Congressional Republicans criticized Granholm’s frequent travel to the island in an April 2023 letter. The Department of Energy did not respond to requests for comment.
The April 2023 letter — sent to Granholm by Republican Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington and Morgan Griffith of Virginia — noted that she took four trips to Puerto Rico over a five-month span in the winter of 2022-2023. The same letter further pointed out that Granholm also visited France, Australia, Mexico and Singapore in her capacity as energy secretary.
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