Puerto Rico Governor Jennffer González Colón announced a historic $1.19 billion federal investment for the reconstruction and modernization of the Central Aguirre power plant in Salinas. The project is part of the plan to transform the island’s energy system. González Colón stated that the project, along with others in progress, is expected to be completed by the end of 2027.
The first quarter of next year, the Aguirre batteries are expected to be installed, and the six 'sites’ are expected to be installed by the end of next year. The 'peakers’ are already on the island and are expected to be ready next year. Each of these installations will add generation to the system, making it more resilient.
The area of Vega Baja will see the most change, as it is where most service interruptions occur. González Colón was accompanied by Energy Czar Josué Colón and GeneraPR spokesperson Iván Báez during her visit to the Central Aguirre to review the progress of the rehabilitation of Unit 1, the development of the energy storage system with Tesla Megapack batteries, and the installation of new rapid generation turbines.
The rehabilitation of Unit 1 will have an investment of approximately $49 million from FEMA and the Federal Department of Energy funds.