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Electric Power Authority’, (PREPA)” “The Status of the ‘Rebuilding and Privatization of the Puerto Rico Natural Resources Full Committee Hearing on Opening Remarks

April 9, 2019

Thank you Chairman Grijalva, Republican Leader Bishop, and Vice Chairman Sablan for holding this important hearing on the status of PREPA's rebuilding and modernization efforts.

The 2017 hurricane season unveiled the consequences: a precarious state of our energy infrastructure. Restoring power to every consumer took close to a year.

I commend Governor Rosselló and PREPA's current leadership for recognizing the need to change and modernize our energy system. I also commend the effort to increase resiliency and diversify the fuel portfolio with renewables and natural gas.

Still, the system remains fragile. Federal support is vital to ensure a secure energy future for Puerto Rico.

As the Island's sole representative in Congress, I have made it a priority to ensure Puerto Rico has resources to build a more resilient energy grid, not just patch up the old system.

In 2018, Congress allocated $2 billion to improve Puerto Rico's grid. However, to date, that money has not been disbursed. Hurricane season is just 53 days away. It's vital this funding gets to the Island. I will be asking about its status and how to accelerate its disbursement.

As Members of Congress, we must conduct oversight over PREPA's efforts and ensure federal funds reach the Island and are not delayed by bureaucratic processes. This includes the $2 billion in CDBG-DR funds provided in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 specifically to improve the electric system.

We can now rebuild a stronger, better, more resilient power structure for island residents. I look forward to hearing from today's witnesses on PREPA's ongoing efforts to modernize and rebuild and on how Congress can facilitate this process.

Thank you, and I yield back.