The Biden administration made two announcements Thursday that aim to bolster solar energy in Puerto Rico — which frequently deals with power outages.
The Department of Energy announced a conditional agreement to lend $861 million to finance the construction of two solar farms and batteries to keep energy stored even when the sun isn’t shining.
The department will also provide up to an additional $325 million for solar and battery storage as part of a new program aimed at helping the island’s energy become more resilient to extreme weather.
The nearly $900 million loan will go to Clean Flexible Energy LLC, a joint venture between electric utility AES and energy company TotalEnergies Holdings USA.
The solar energy produced by the two farms should be enough to supply around 43,000 homes per year.
The other funding was established by Congress in an annual appropriations bill. It will provide up to $140 million for community health facility projects and up to $185 million for multifamily housing projects.
“Through the Resilient Communities Program, we are expanding access to solar energy to community healthcare facilities and subsidized multifamily housing, helping to bring resilience and security to even more families on the Island,” said Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, in a written statement.
Puerto Rico has long-standing power problems, worsened by storms such as 2017’s Hurricane Maria and 2022’s Hurricane Fiona.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
