WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today renewed two emergency orders to further strengthen Puerto Rico’s electric grid as the island prepares for rising energy demand and the 2026 hurricane season.
Building on actions taken in May, August, and November 2025, the renewed orders authorize the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) to dispatch generation units essential for maintaining critical generation capacity, while accelerating vegetation management to reduce outages, strengthen long-term grid reliability, and minimize the cost of 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’s emergency actions have assisted the Puerto Rican government in restoring up to 820 MW of baseload generation capacity in Puerto Rico, resulting in an increase to the island’s systemwide generation capacity to 6,460 MW. Several plants were able to run without water injection during a water crisis, ensuring electricity kept flowing to Puerto Ricans despite unforeseen circumstances.
The orders also address vegetation management issues near high-voltage lines. Falling tree limbs or brush during Puerto Rico’s frequent storms and high winds can damage transmission lines, cause widespread outages and potentially cause wildfires.
“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,” said Puerto Rico Governor Jenniffer González-Colón.
The renewed emergency orders take effect February 10, 2026, through May 11, 2026. DOE will continue working closely with Governor González-Colón and local authorities to ensure Puerto Rico’s 3.2 million Americans have access to a reliable and secure electric grid.
BACKGROUND:
On May 16, 2025, DOE issued two emergency orders to PREPA under Section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act that allowed specific generation units to operate under certain conditions while directing vegetation management along key transmission lines. DOE renewed these orders on August 15 and November 12, 2025.
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