[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 172 (Wednesday, October 25, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6800-S6801]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



          Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands Recovery Effort

  Mr. FRANKEN. Mr. President, I rise to talk about the devastation in 
Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands and the need to rebuild the 
electric grid in a more resilient and sustainable way.
  Over the last few months, communities around the country have been 
devastated by natural disasters. We have had terrible hurricanes in 
Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as 
tragic wildfires across the West. These communities need immediate 
help, and that is why the disaster supplemental appropriations bill we 
passed yesterday is so important. I am glad this bill provides nearly 
$19 billion to replenish FEMA's emergency disaster accounts that help 
communities start to rebuild, but it is just a downpayment. As we know, 
it will take a lot more Federal assistance.
  One thing we need to focus on is the electric grid. Hurricanes 
Harvey, Irma, and Maria demonstrated the risks the electric grid faces 
from extreme weather. The communities hardest hit in Texas and Florida 
underwent days--sometimes much longer--without any power, and when this 
happens, it is a serious risk to the safety and health of everyone in 
the area.
  Now, American citizens in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are 
facing a major humanitarian crisis, and the Federal Government needs to 
do everything it can to assist.
  More than a month after Hurricane Maria hit, only 25 percent of 
Puerto Rico has access to electricity, and it will take many months to 
get power back to those communities. That is completely unacceptable. 
Without electricity, pumping stations can't supply drinking water to 
households. In fact, 25 percent of the island still lacks access to 
potable water. Without electricity, wastewater treatment facilities 
can't operate, which means raw sewage is contaminating rivers and 
streams. Without electricity, cell towers cease to function, making 
communication with first responders difficult. Without a stable 
electric grid, hospitals have to rely on backup power to keep 
lifesaving equipment working. That backup power is often diesel 
generators that require fuel, which is in short supply.
  Given the dire situation, it is no surprise that we have already seen 
tens of thousands of Puerto Ricans leave the island, with nearly 60,000 
arriving in Florida alone.
  The majority of the transmission and distribution lines were 
destroyed in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. We need to 
rebuild them, and I think we can all agree they should be rebuilt to 
withstand the next disaster. So let's rebuild the electric grid in a 
more resilient and sustainable way that reduces future threats and 
future costs. I have been talking with my Republican colleagues and 
members of the administration, and everyone agrees this is a good idea. 
That is why I want to work with my colleagues on both sides of the 
aisle to include language in the next supplemental disaster aid package 
that does exactly this.
  I am talking about investing in a more modern and more decentralized

[[Page S6801]]

grid so that not everyone is relying on a handful of powerplants that 
can go down. Decentralized energy resources operating in microgrids are 
more likely to remain functioning during and after storms. There are 
many instances of distributed energy keeping important facilities 
online after natural disasters, including the Texas Medical Center, 
which is the largest medical complex in the world, which has a combined 
heat and power plant that kept running during Hurricane Harvey. That is 
because during extreme weather, these technologies can go into island 
mode or operate independent of the grid.
  Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands have some of the highest 
electricity prices in the United States, and that is because they rely 
on oil, coal, and gas that must be shipped from the mainland. While 
these islands do not have fossil fuels, do you know what they do have? 
Lots of Sun. And the rapidly declining costs of distributed clean 
energy technologies such as solar, wind, energy efficiency, and battery 
storage, in many instances make them more affordable than existing 
power generation, which means these clean energy technologies could 
help reduce prices.
  These investments will also save money in the long run. In 2005, the 
National Institute of Building Sciences completed a study for FEMA that 
found that every dollar invested in disaster preparedness and 
resilience saves $4 in future avoided losses. We know we are going to 
see more hurricanes and extreme weather events, so let's rebuild in 
such a way that impacts are not as severe the next time around. Let's 
protect people and save taxpayer money.
  That is my message: Let's protect people, and let's all save taxpayer 
money and do the thing that makes sense.
  Thank you.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.