The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced a $325 million funding opportunity for the new Programa de Comunidades Resilientes, supported by DOE’s Puerto Rico Energy Resilience Fund (PR-ERF). This program aims to enhance energy resilience for vulnerable communities across Puerto Rico by funding solar and battery storage installations in community healthcare facilities and subsidized multi-family housing properties.
U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm highlighted the initiative’s importance: “The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to helping Puerto Rican households access affordable solar and battery storage. The Programa de Comunidades Resilientes expands solar access to healthcare facilities and subsidized multifamily housing, bringing resilience and safety to more families on the Island.”
The DOE anticipates up to $325 million in funding, targeting two primary community infrastructure areas:
Community Healthcare Facilities: Between $70 million and $140 million will be allocated to federally qualified health centers, dialysis centers, and diagnostic and treatment centers to improve their energy resilience.
Multi-Family Housing Properties: Between $93 million and $185 million will be dedicated to enhancing energy resilience in community centers and common areas within public or privately owned multi-family housing properties subsidized by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. This includes powering shared building infrastructure and common spaces, such as elevators, in addition to community centers located on public housing properties in Puerto Rico.
Applicants for this funding can be individual entities or teams based in Puerto Rico, capable of coordinating the deployment of solar and battery storage systems across multiple sites.
In December 2022, President Biden signed into law $1 billion for the PR-ERF, aiming to invest in renewable and resilient energy infrastructure in Puerto Rico. Following this, the DOE launched the Programa Acceso Solar in February 2024, which connects low-income Puerto Rican households with subsidized residential solar and battery storage systems.
This new funding initiative marks a significant step towards ensuring energy resilience and safety for Puerto Rico’s most vulnerable communities.
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