[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 55 (Wednesday, March 26, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H1282-H1283]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      PUERTO RICO'S ENERGY CRISIS

  (Mr. Hernandez of Puerto Rico was recognized to address the House for 
5 minutes.)
  Mr. HERNANDEZ. Madam Speaker, last Friday, I opened my district 
office in Caguas, Puerto Rico. I had about 10 other colleagues join me, 
and when I finished my speech and turned to greet my constituents, the 
power went out.
  I won't lie, my immediate reaction was not all that negative. I was 
sort of glad that it happened while my colleagues were there so that 
they could see the reality that many Puerto Ricans live with on a daily 
basis.
  Now, I am afraid that that reality is about to get a lot worse. The 
power companies in charge of generation and distribution of energy in 
the island have warned us that there will be a severe generation 
deficit between May and October due to a major generation unit's 
breakdown. As a result, we might face up to 125 selective power outages 
during that time. Last year, the average client faced about 10 hours 
without power due to these selective outages. This year, it is expected 
to be a lot worse.
  Pause and think about that: 125 blackouts over 6 months in the United 
States of America. That isn't and shouldn't be normal.

  The government of Puerto Rico has a plan A. First, demand that Genera 
PR, the company in charge of generation, fix the broken power plants 
before May. An alternative is that we get barges and land units to 
generate temporary electricity to meet the height and demand during the 
summer.
  I will do what I can to support the government's efforts to address 
this challenge. I have already urged President Trump to declare a 
Federal emergency to support Puerto Rico's electric

[[Page H1283]]

grid crisis, and I have told the power companies that I am willing to 
support their requests for temporary generation units.
  However, I also believe that the government needs a plan B in case 
all of this fails. The government needs to prepare the people of Puerto 
Rico for the possibility that power will go out virtually every day 
during this summer.
  What can the government do? It can demand that utility companies be 
transparent about their planned interruptions so that the people know 
what to expect and can plan accordingly. It can educate and incentivize 
less energy consumption to prevent the need for these selective 
outages. It can begin preparing vulnerable populations and providers of 
essential services with backup sources and energy assistance.
  I want it to be clear that the current government is not responsible 
for the energy generation crisis, but it will be responsible for how it 
handles it.
  The government must be brave and honest with the people, not laid 
back and blindly optimistic because it views LUMA, the distribution 
company, and Genera, the generation company, as ultimately responsible. 
The government must care not about who gets the blame for the problem 
but about actually addressing the problem.
  We must prepare before it is too late. Failure to prepare will have 
unfortunate consequences.


               Honoring the Life of Cirilo Tirado Delgado

  Mr. HERNANDEZ. Madam Speaker, I also rise to honor the life of Cirilo 
Tirado Delgado, who passed away last week, a few days shy of his 90th 
birthday.
  Mr. Tirado was a respected public servant, educator, and attorney in 
the great Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. He served in the Puerto Rico 
House of Representatives from 1973 to 1984, worked in the executive 
branch from 1984 to 1988, and returned to the legislature as a senator 
from 1988 to 1996. After that, he practiced law in the town of Guayama.
  I extend my condolences to his window, children, and grandchildren. 
May he rest in peace.

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