Over the previous six years, Puerto Rico has been hammered with hurricanes, leading to a decimated energy grid in dire want of a rebuild. However recently a coalition of 10 Puerto Rican group and conservation teams filed a lawsuit in opposition to the Federal Emergency Administration Company (FEMA) over what they allege is a sloppy environmental evaluation for such a mission.
The plaintiffs accuse FEMA of ignoring the potential contribution of renewable vitality options — primarily rooftop photo voltaic and storage — to energy the grid whereas as an alternative prioritizing the usage of pure gasoline.
A statement released by the Center for Biological Diversity claims FEMA violated federal legislation by “failing to contemplate the environmental hurt from rebuilding and relocating Puerto Rico’s polluting fossil gasoline infrastructure, together with jeopardizing clear air and water, and endangered species.”
Moreover, Puerto Rico passed a 2019 law that focused a one hundred pc renewable vitality aim for the island by 2050. Setting up a brand new grid reliant upon pure gasoline would create limitations to assembly these targets.
A FEMA spokesperson knowledgeable GreenBiz it doesn’t touch upon lively litigation.