US to supply Puerto Rico with emergency power generation

By DÁNICA COTO
Associated Press

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The U.S. government says it will provide Puerto Rico with temporary electric generation via barges as the island’s power grid continues to disintegrate, leading to an increase in widespread outages. Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi said Tuesday that the move will allow crews to take equipment including substations, transformers and breakers offline for long-needed repairs that are expected to take anywhere from 12 to 18 months. The move is part of a deal reached last month with the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency, which agreed to help the U.S. territory stabilize a power system that was razed by Hurricane Maria in 2017 and pummeled by Hurricane Fiona in September.