Advocacy organizations are suing FEMA for disregarding renewable energy sources while rebuilding Puerto Rico’s electricity system with billions of dollars in congressional money.
The Center for Biological Diversity and nine Puerto Rican community organizations believe FEMA is making Puerto Rico less storm-resistant and more likely to endure major power outages by rebuilding its older fossil fuel-powered infrastructure without considering environmental implications.
“Challenges FEMA’s failure to include rooftop solar, storage and other types of distributed renewable energy for projects meant to deliver electricity to areas at danger from Puerto Rico’s hurricane-battered grid,” the coalition of advocacy organizations stated in a press statement.
“FEMA violated federal law by failing to assess the environmental impact from rebuilding and moving Puerto Rico’s polluting fossil fuel infrastructure, including risking clean air and water, and endangered species,” the organization claims.
FEMA did not reply to an after-hours request for comment.
The action lists DHS as a defendant in the U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia.
During Hurricane Fiona, the Biden administration waived U.S. shipping laws to allow Puerto Rico to acquire fuel and liquefied natural gas.
The storm hit five years after Hurricane Maria, the biggest power blackout in U.S. history.
Last year, New York Attorney General Letitia James wrote that despite billions of dollars invested in rehabilitating Puerto Rico’s system, people still face frequent outages and expensive electricity costs.
Last month, U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, President Joe Biden’s lead person on restoring the island’s system, told Reuters, “This an issue of life and death in real terms, in real time.”
