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Gov. Jenniffer González Colón plans to wait for the legislative process to end to determine the future of the Applied Energy Systems (AES) coal-fired power plant in Guayama.
The island Legislature is evaluating a bill that would amend energy policies to postpone, to 2035 from 2028, the ban on the use of coal to draw energy and would eliminate previously established intermediate renewable-=energy goals. For instance, the bill would eliminate the requirement for Puerto Rico to draw 40% of its energy from renewable sources by 2025 and 60% by 2040. Instead, the bill establishes the goal of 100% in the use of renewables by 2050.
“We need to change the legislation,” the governor said. “The proposed change eliminates intermediate renewable energy goals. Why? Because Puerto Rico should not be bound to the Energy Bureau, which only approves projects that meet renewable energy criteria. We are unlikely to meet these goals, leaving the final renewable energy target set for 2050. While we all aspire to achieve emission-free energy, the reality is that we may face blackouts by summer due to insufficient energy generation. This is why we have eliminated the intermediate goals and retained only the final goal.”
“Once we have that change,” González Colón continued, “we can negotiate with the operator and any other operators to explore ways to modify energy production. They already hold a permit for energy generation, so our aim is to allow them to transition to a combined-cycle, natural gas system. However, we cannot reach that point without altering the intermediate goals, enabling the Energy Bureau to make informed decisions about availability and business opportunities.”
Speaker of the House of Representatives Carlos “Johnny” Méndez Núñez, along with legislators from the Popular Democratic Party, opposes extending the operations of the coal-fired generator until 2035. The municipality of Guayama, where the AES facilities are located, also wishes to avoid extending the generator’s operations.
Josué Colón Ortiz, the island’s energy czar, said in public hearings that AES should continue operating until 2035 to allow for the development of a substitute source for the 500 megawatts produced by the plant.
“I, along with the energy czar, am meeting with various generation groups,” the governor said, “as we will not rest until we secure the necessary tools and generation options for Puerto Rico.”
