New York officials announce $280,000 aid package for Puerto Rico
The funding supports ten resiliency hubs as the island recovers from canceled federal solar projects and a recent lawsuit against the Energy Department.
By Amina Yusuf ·
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a $280,000 partnership on Friday to assist Puerto Rico with emergency preparedness. The funds will support ten community-run resiliency hubs across the island. These hubs will receive increased water storage capacity, and some will also install rain-collection systems, kitchen infrastructure, and solar power with battery storage. The partnership is a collaboration between the Hispanic Federation and the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York.
Mamdani and Hochul made the announcement during a four-day annual conference that includes a group of New York government officials. They met with local nonprofits to discuss the island's ongoing challenges. Mamdani described the recent U.S. midterm election results as a potential turning point for working-class people. He argued that the island's natural crises are often the result of political choices.
Hochul stated that the election results represent a new day for Puerto Rico. She said the federal government must be held responsible for restoring resources for resiliency, energy projects, and healthcare. She noted that the island has faced a lack of commitment from the federal government over the last two years.
The new funding arrives as Puerto Rico struggles with chronic power outages and intermittent water shortages. The island continues to rebuild from Hurricane Maria and other disasters. This support follows a decision by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump to cancel solar projects intended to help thousands of low-income families. One canceled project was worth $400 million and would have installed solar and battery storage systems in homes with medical needs.
The U.S. Department of Energy said the funds originally slated for solar projects will instead help maintain the power grid. The grid was damaged by Hurricane Maria in September 2017 and had been weakened by a lack of maintenance. Last week, six Puerto Rico residents sued the U.S. Energy Department and its secretary, Chris Wright. The lawsuit challenges the scrapping of a $1 billion federally funded program for solar power and battery storage.
The lawsuit includes Ileana Ríos, a 63-year-old resident of Arecibo who is diabetic and needs to refrigerate her insulin. Her son has asthma and uses a nebulizer that requires electricity. The legal filing states that Ríos regularly loses power during storms, sometimes for several weeks. The other plaintiffs also have health conditions that rely on electricity.
The lawsuit requests that a judge order the U.S. Energy Department to reinstate the grant program. The agency did not return a message seeking comment. Sybelle Rodriguez del Valle, director of operations at the nonprofit Barrio Eléctrico, said the organization faced months of uncertainty before the program ended. The nonprofit serves more than 500 families and was preparing to help 1,200 more. It completed about one-third of its projects before losing an estimated $16 million to $20 million in federal funding.
