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While Governor Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia has made public statements regarding the project, the governor-elect Jenniffer González Colón expressed she was not informed about his intentions to finalize the contract for a liquefied natural gas power generation facility in San Juan.
The facility specified in the agreement with Energiza is set to generate 478 megawatts of power.
“Signing a contract just days before a new administration takes office for millions of dollars raises concerns for me,” González Colón allegedly stated.
“It appears to me that the Transition Committee provided us with misleading information, as it was mentioned that the proposal was being assessed, but not that there was a contract ready to be executed,” she stated. “Moreover, during my meeting with the governor, he never indicated that there was an agreement of this scale in the works.”
The president of the New Progressive Party emphasized that she supports generating power through gas facilities, yet she has reservations about the approach taken by the outgoing administration.
“I intend to retain the right to scrutinize these agreements in January, because if this contract was created by the same individual who put together the LUMA agreement, it signifies that there is a lack of protective measures for the people of Puerto Rico,” González Colón remarked, referencing the Public-Private Partnerships Authority (P3A).
On Sunday, Pierluisi, together with P3A Interim Executive Director Gerardo Lorán Butrón, announced the selection of Energiza for the design, financing, development, construction, installation, operation, and management of a new power facility in San Juan.
The anticipated operational date for the new facility is June 30, 2028. Energiza consists of the Puerto Rican firms Tropigas de Puerto Rico Inc. and Cratos Project Services PR LLC, along with Mitsubishi Américas Power Inc. and NAES Corp. in its consortium.
The arrangement, structured as an energy purchase and operation contract established between Energiza and the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, is effective for 30 years, with the option for two 10-year renewals.
