GAO says FEMA needs to better coordinate grid recovery efforts in Puerto Rico
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) says the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) should enhance coordination between local and federal officials to fully restore the grid in Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico was slammed by Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017 and the storms damaged Puerto Rico’s electricity grid. They caused the longest blackout in U.S. history as it took almost 11 months to restore power. FEMA and other federal agencies provided about $3.9 billion to help restore electricity service.
Now that electricity service has been restored, local entities face the challenge to more fully repair and rebuild the grid. Federal programs provide funding to increase the resilience of the grid.
However, GAO found that neither FEMA nor HUD had funded any long-term grid recovery projects in Puerto Rico. GAO says progress on that front has been hindered in part because FEMA has not provided clear written information on what will be eligible for funding. Thus, it is not clear which technologies and approaches are eligible for funding.
FEMA is charged with leading the coordination of federal support for local agencies to achieve recovery goals, but GAO says it has not adequately set up a mechanism to facilitate coordination among the entities involved. Considering the local challenges and complexity of federal funding, enhanced coordination is necessary to create a more resilient system
GAO recommends that FEMA provide clear written information in the form of policy, guidance, or regulations that clarifies how it will implement new authorities and enhance coordination among local and federal entities. FEMA agrees with the recommendations.
