FEMA assigns more than $238 million to PREPA

On October 13, 2020, El Vocero reported that FEMA assigned more than $238 million to the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA/AEE) for costs related to earthquake damage on 28 rapid-response units that feed critical facilities while Costa Sur returns to service.

Costa Sur, the largest of the Island’s four plants, supplies about a quarter of Puerto Rico’s electricity. The January quakes caused extensive structural damage (foundations, walls and supports) and outages that left more than 327,000 customers without power. The 28 units — in Aguirre, Cambalache, Daguao, Jabos, Mayagüez, Palo Seco, Vega Baja and Yabucoa — are usually used at demand peaks; after the quakes they were used to save lives and prevent greater damage, feeding hospitals, Police, Firefighters, emergency centers and water facilities.

Federal coordinator José Baquero Tirado said the assignment keeps generation capacity for essential services and that FEMA would keep working with the government on recovery. Ottmar Chávez (COR3) thanked FEMA’s support to mitigate damage and rebuild PREPA infrastructure. El Vocero notes that emergency protective measures aim to eliminate or reduce immediate threats to lives, public health or safety, and to reduce further damage to public or private property in a cost-effective way. Through that date, FEMA had assigned over $240 million for earthquake-related costs.

Assigning is not disbursing. Emergency protective measures are not permanent reconstruction work at Costa Sur.