Puerto Rico Morning Brief Friday, October 9, 2026

Hurricane Isaias had sustained winds of 110 mph and was 1,499 miles from San Juan, moving north at 15 mph.

The Public-Private Partnerships Authority (AAPP) ordered an immediate process to claim from New Fortress Energy the cost of the halt in natural gas to the San Juan power plant. The authority said the interruption is costing Puerto Rico about $1.25 million a day in more expensive replacement fuel. On the official estimate, the added cost since September 16 exceeds $27.5 million. The instruction is in an October 8 letter signed by Lionel E. Santa Crispín, general legal adviser to the authority and the Energy Czar’s Office.

The same gas halt led Energy Czar Josué A. Colón Ortiz to withdraw Genera PR’s authority to purchase replacement natural gas for the San Juan plant. Colón Ortiz, who is also executive director of the authority, cited a conflict of interest with New Fortress, which has halted gas deliveries since September 16. He sent two letters on October 8, one to Genera and one to New Fortress. The letter to New Fortress gave the company 24 hours to confirm steps to resume deliveries, including the unloading of the Amur River ship. Genera put the cost of the interruption at approximately $1.25 million daily in additional fuel.

A citizen handed Family Secretary Suzanne Roig Fuertes a napkin after a Senate hearing, suggesting she wipe away her "crocodile tears." Denise Pilar Otero, a community leader and 20-year resident of San Juan’s Puerta de Tierra neighborhood, said the gesture was a protest. She said she was expressing indignation at what she considers mockery, lies and lack of sensitivity by Roig Fuertes. Otero said her complaint goes beyond the hearing. She denounced that elderly people remain on waiting lists for services, while vulnerable communities face obstacles to access aid and job opportunities.

The Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (AAA) opened a small gate at the Carraízo reservoir on Thursday, October 8, to release some pressure. The reservoir was at the edge of the Spilling band. AAA spokesperson Michelle Cobb said the gate, known as the mini gate, was opened to avoid complications. Recent rains in the Carraízo Lake basin have allowed the reservoir to reach optimal storage levels.

The La Plata reservoir in Comerío lost 8 centimeters over two days, six of them between Wednesday and Thursday, according to AAA monitoring data. It stood at 43.62 meters on Thursday morning, October 8, down from 43.68 meters on Wednesday and 43.70 meters on Tuesday. Three other reservoirs also dropped. Matrullas, in Orocovis, fell four centimeters between Wednesday and Thursday to 733.75 meters. Guayo, in Lares, fell nine centimeters, and Loco, in Yauco, fell seven centimeters.

The Senate introduced a new bill to reform the permitting process in Puerto Rico. Known as the "proyecto sustitutivo," it replaces earlier measures presented by Governor Jenniffer González Colón and Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz. The reform aims to simplify procedures, establish clear rules, reduce bureaucracy and strengthen mechanisms for oversight and compliance. Rivera Schatz said it seeks to address the real problems faced by citizens, professionals and businesses. He said it would transform a system marked by bureaucracy, uncertainty and delays.