FEMA Must Provide Additional Technical Assistance to Support the Timely Rebuilding of Puerto Rico’s Electrical Grid

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) did not ensure the timely rebuilding of Puerto Rico’s electrical grid in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.  FEMA officials missed opportunities to provide more assistance to Puerto Rico to manage its Hurricane Maria Public Assistance grant funds in accordance with Federal regulations and FEMA guidelines.  Specifically, FEMA did not provide enough technical assistance and guidance to the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) to generate detailed statements of work and comprehensive work plans.   Despite FEMA granting multi-year extensions to avoid work stoppages, as of February 2025, FEMA reported that: • 92 percent (183 of 198) of approved and obligated       construction projects were incomplete; and • $3.7 billion of available permanent work funding had not      been obligated for construction of projects.  In June 2024, FEMA received a revised work plan focused on three categories of work: generation, transmission and distribution, and water assets.  The plan lacked detailed costs, schedules, and performance goals — all of which are important to monitoring progress. Over seven years after Hurricane Maria, FEMA does not know when Puerto Rico’s electrical grid will be completely rebuilt.  The grid remains unstable, inadequate, and vulnerable to interruptions, as evidenced by another complete loss of power on December 31, 2024.