Puerto Rico Morning Brief Thursday, October 22, 2026

A delay of several weeks in liquefied natural gas (LNG) deliveries forced Puerto Rico to burn diesel to keep electricity generation going. The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) estimated the substitution cost residents and businesses about $32 million between September 16 and October 12, 2026. The dispute centers on a contract between PREPA and NF Energía LLC (NFE), in force since December 2025 and approved by the Oversight Board. The agreement is meant to guarantee LNG supply to power plants.

Hospital Auxilio Mutuo has agreed to create a fund of up to $500,000 for about 41,000 patients affected by a September 2023 cyberattack. The settlement of a class-action lawsuit still needs final court approval. José A. Morales Rosario filed the suit on May 1, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. He sued after the hospital disclosed that the attack may have compromised data of patients who visited between August 2022 and September 2023. The hospital must also invest more than $1.1 million in cybersecurity infrastructure.

Governor Jenniffer González Colón announced on Wednesday, October 21, the second phase of the police pay raise, which will benefit 6,449 officers across several ranks. The raises range from $162.92 to $268.17 a month and are retroactive to August 1. They will be paid on October 30, in the second biweekly paycheck of October, using a $16 million transfer.

Coamo is moving forward with 14 simultaneous construction, reconstruction and infrastructure projects totaling $18.315 million, Mayor Juan Carlos García Padilla announced Wednesday, October 21. The largest investments are $8.3 million for the Edwin "Puruco" Nolasco Coliseum and $6 million for the Pedro Miguel Caratini Stadium. Other projects include housing in downtown Coamo, the Pisos de Coamo development, and work at the Hotel Posada San Blas. They also cover roof sealing at the municipal museum and the Las Flores Multipurpose Center, and upgrades to roads, low-water crossings, basketball courts, parks and parking.

The Financial Oversight and Management Board reminded New Fortress Energy (NFE) that its approval last year of a contract to supply gas to Puerto Rico for up to 10 years is conditioned on the company letting alternate suppliers use its dock. The condition applies whenever the company cannot complete deliveries. In a communication on Wednesday afternoon, the board called the "tolling agreement" a fundamental component and an indispensable condition. It said the provision is meant to ensure Puerto Rico is not left without access to liquefied gas, regardless of which party is responsible. The board did not indicate it is weighing cancellation.

Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce president José "Che Julio" Aparicio Laspina said the island’s private sector is in an "economic crisis" and an "economic emergency" because of rising energy costs. In an interview on the program Normando en la Mañana on NotiUno 630, he asked the Oversight Board to authorize use of an emergency fund to mitigate the impact for "at least three or four months." Aparicio Laspina warned that the biggest impact will come with the next, already-approved electricity rate increase.

The police raises are due to be paid on October 30.