USACE awards additional $140.5 million for power grid restoration in Puerto Rico

San Juan, Puerto Rico — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) will provide additional resources to further support emergency power restoration by increasing the value of an existing contract. The additional FEMA funds raise the PowerSecure Inc., contract amount by $140.5 million. The contract was originally awarded Oct. 19, 2017. Additional funds bring the total amount of the contract to $510.6 million and enable continued restoration efforts into May.

“We are proud to continue our role in this vital mission, working at FEMA’s direction alongside our Unified Command partners,” said Col. Jason Kirk, USACE Task Force Power Restoration Commander. “The additional resources from FEMA will enable us to work through April and into May to restore electrical service to remaining customers, mainly in Puerto Rico’s remote mountainous areas.”

The Unified Command Group — comprised of USACE, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority and the Island’s Power Restoration Coordinator — continually evaluates the ongoing work in order to restore electricity across the island.

The increase in funds will allow PowerSecure Inc., to maintain personnel, equipment and materials on the island, in order to continue the repair of hurricane-damaged electrical lines particularly in the hardest-hit and most remote areas.

The additional funds were made available under a time extension of the FEMA Mission Assignment, which will allow USACE to continue its vital work as part of the unified effort to restore electrical service to the island until May 18.