Hernández and Begich: USGS should study Puerto Rico’s geothermal potential

On September 4, 2026, El Nuevo Día reports from Washington, by José A. Delgado, that Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández, with Republican Nick Begich of Alaska, introduced a bill directing the U.S. Geological Survey to study Puerto Rico’s geothermal potential as an energy source. “In Puerto Rico, we pay too much for an electric system that remains too unstable. We have to evaluate every alternative that can help us produce energy here, depend less on imported fuel and eventually lower costs,” Hernández said in a statement. The measure was introduced Thursday, when the House was canceling the last two weeks of September session.

If it becomes law, USGS would have to identify viable geothermal resources, create detailed maps, assess groundwater impacts and seismic risks — including aquifer vulnerability and karst terrain zones — and submit results to Congress within a year. Hernández stressed that the bill does not authorize any geothermal development: it only seeks the scientific information that does not exist today. Begich framed the study as part of understanding the full range of U.S. energy resources. A study is not drilling; study authorization is not a plant license.

The House would return to session September 14–17 and then recess until after the November elections. What remains is Thursday’s filing, Hernández with Begich, a one-year USGS mandate, and a no to confusing the study with authorized geothermal development. A reader who wants Delgado on the 4th has the El Nuevo Día URL at the foot. This is not original reporting.

Fuente: El Nuevo Día. https://www.elnuevodia.com/corresponsalias/washington-dc/notas/pablo-jose-hernandez-quiere-que-el-gobierno-federal-examine-el-potencial-de-la-energia-geotermica-en-puerto-rico/