The US Army Corps of Engineers informed today with absolute honesty, that it will not be possible to restore 95% of Puerto Rico’s electric grid by December as Governor Ricardo Rosselló Nevares promised the people on the island.
Major General Donald Jackson, deputy commander of the Corps of Engineers, said that they have managed to meet the target of 30% by the end of October and seek to achieve that the Electric Power Authority (PREPA) reach 50% of its capacity by the end of November, but that the December goal is not realistic.
“There are differences between goals and reality. We support the governor’s goals. We want to restore power lines as quickly as possible. But, the reality is that we can’t restore 95% of the electricity by December 15. It’s just not possible, “Jackson told reporters.
With respect to the goal of reaching 50% capacity by the end of November, Jackson said that “it’s possible, but I will not know until I have enough workers on the ground.
Major General Jackson said that if the government of Puerto Rico had made use of the mutual aid agreements with the Association of Public Energy Companies of the United States (APPA) from the beginning, the Corps of Engineers would not have had to intervene and the job would have probably be completed sooner.
