US faces demand to restore $350M in federal funding to help power Puerto Rico
Source: ABC News/AP
April 15, 2026, 12:00 PM
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) - Nearly 200 organizations are urging the Trump administration and Puerto Rico ’s governor to restore $350 million in federal funding that was meant to finance the installation of rooftop solar and battery systems for 12,000 low-income families across the U.S. territory.
Many of the families have disabilities or medical conditions that require electricity. Concern is growing that the U.S. will abandon them as chronic power outages persist and the Atlantic hurricane season nears. “For them in particular, whether they get a (solar) system or not is something that is really life or death,” Charlotte Gossett Navarro, Puerto Rico chief director for the Hispanic Federation, said in a phone interview.
The nonprofit group is among the organizations that signed a letter released Wednesday to Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González and U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright. The Hispanic Federation is one of seven organizations that were going to help install the solar systems and educate families about their use. Some of those groups are now formally objecting to the cancellation of the funds or negotiating with the U.S. Department of Energy.
González has said that her administration “had no choice” because the federal government decided it would not give Puerto Rico those funds, which are expected to now be invested in the island's crumbling power grid, which was razed by Hurricane Maria in 2017 but was already deteriorated given a lack of investment and maintenance.
Read more: https://abcnews.com/International/wireStory/us-faces-demand-restore-350m-federal-funding-power-132066618