Trending Now - Puerto Rico's Governor Vows to Address Utility Shortages

WHO:

ABC News - Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González is the key figure addressing the utility shortages.

ABC News - Pablo José Hernández, Puerto Rico's representative in Congress, is a political opponent of González.

WHAT:

ABC News - González pledged to boost electric energy availability in Puerto Rico due to chronic outages.

ABC News - A bidding process for 3,000 megawatts of additional power generation capacity is underway and expected to be awarded by late summer.

ABC News - Nearly 1,000 megawatts will be added to the system in upcoming months as repairs and modernization of power plants occur.

ABC News - 100 megawatts can provide sufficient energy for 60,000 families.

ABC News - González stated, “With more megawatts in the system, we can reduce outages.”

ABC News - Crews have started installing Tesla batteries with 430 megawatts of storage capacity, funded by over $700 million in federal funds.

ABC News - 244 megawatts of power plants for high demand have arrived.

ABC News - González plans to cancel a multimillion-dollar contract with Luma, a private company managing power transmission and distribution.

WHERE:

ABC News - The events are taking place in Puerto Rico.

WHEN:

ABC News - The bidding process for additional power generation capacity is expected to be awarded by late summer.

ABC News - In 2024, Puerto Rico's average electricity price was ranked fifth highest in the U.S.

WHY:

ABC News - González's actions are in response to chronic power outages and criticism regarding the management of the power grid.

ABC News - González acknowledged “serious problems” with the island’s water infrastructure, prompting her to address these issues.

HOW:

ABC News - The installation of Tesla batteries and the addition of power generation capacity are part of the strategy to alleviate energy shortages.

ABC News - González is pushing for the conversion of power plants to natural gas to reduce electricity costs.

(UPDATED May 22, 2026 08:09 UTC)

Puerto Rico Governor Jenniffer González is taking significant steps to address the island's chronic utility shortages, pledging to boost electric energy availability and announcing a bidding process for 3,000 megawatts of additional power generation capacity, which is expected to be awarded by late summer. In the coming months, nearly 1,000 megawatts will be added through repairs and modernization of power plants, while crews have begun installing Tesla batteries with a storage capacity of 430 megawatts, funded by over $700 million in federal funds. González is also planning to cancel a multimillion-dollar contract with Luma, the private company managing power transmission and distribution, in response to ongoing criticism about the management of the power grid.