By The Star Staff
A public hearing is scheduled in the island House of Representatives for this Wednesday to evaluate two energy measures introduced by La Fortaleza.
House Government Committee Chairman Víctor Parés Otero announced the scheduled hearing over the weekend.
The first witness will be Josué Colón, the executive director of the Authority for Public-Private Partnerships and “Energy Czar.” The second witness will be Puerto Rico Energy Bureau Chairman Edison Avilés.
“Our speaker, Carlos ‘Johnny’ Méndez, has made it clear that he wants to expedite the evaluation of House Bills 268 and 267 because he understands their importance for Puerto Rico’s energy development,” Parés Otero said. “In line with this, we are starting the evaluation process this Wednesday with the goal of addressing the needs and concerns of all stakeholders, so we can prepare a detailed report on these two measures for approval as soon as possible.”
“We have maintained very good communication with the Energy ‘Czar’ for quite some time,” the legislator added. “We recently had a meeting with him and his team to outline the parameters of these two measures and establish a schedule for their comprehensive evaluation. These measures are essential for reconstructing the electrical grid and will lay the foundation for our energy infrastructure in Puerto Rico, which is why they deserve thorough and timely study.”
House Bill 268 aims to grant the Energy Bureau enhanced authority to monitor private operators of the electrical system components. The augmented authority, which includes imposing penalties of up to $125,000 per day for noncompliance, aligns with requests made by Parés Otero.
House Bill 267, which amends Law 57-2014, also known as the “Energy Transformation and Relief Law,” will be reviewed during the hearing.
Both measures were submitted by La Fortaleza on Jan. 23.
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