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US DOE Renews Emergency Orders to Bolster Puerto Rico Grid Ahead of Peak Demand

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The US Department of Energy renewed two emergency orders on Tuesday to strengthen Puerto Rico's power grid as the island prepares for rising summer electricity demand and the 2026 hurricane season.

The orders, effective May 12 through Aug. 9, authorize the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority to dispatch generation units beyond normal permitting limits to maintain critical capacity. The measures also extend vegetation management efforts to reduce outages caused by storm damage to transmission lines.

The DOE has framed the emergency measures as part of broader efforts to reduce the risk of widespread outages, particularly during severe weather.

Puerto Rico's transmission infrastructure has faced repeated disruptions in recent years, with storms and high winds posing ongoing threats to high-voltage lines.

The Department said the renewals build on actions taken in 2025 and early 2026 to stabilize the grid and prevent island-wide blackouts.

"Renewing these orders ensures critical work moves forward, urgent reliability changes are addressed, and Puerto Rico's grid is ready to withstand rising energy demand," Energy Secretary Chris Wright said.

The agency said the directives are meant to address ongoing reliability challenges while supporting longer-term modernization efforts.

The orders allow generators to operate beyond normal permitting limits, a step the DOE said is intended to address ongoing reliability challenges and help prevent island-wide blackouts.

The DOE plans to continue working with local authorities to ensure grid reliability for the island's 3.2 million residents and to reduce the economic costs associated with prolonged outages.

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