Federal Judge Silvia Carreño Coll issued an order Thursday afternoon setting the conditions under which the vessel AMUR River may transit San Juan Bay to deliver gas to New Fortress Energy (NFE) facilities, from which it would supply Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) units that are currently running on diesel. The judge imposed the instructions and conditions because NFE and the San Juan Bay Pilots Association (SJBPA) could not agree on written language for the verbal agreement they had reached Wednesday during an emergency hearing.
Both sides had said Wednesday they were satisfied but could not produce a document to formalize it. The pilots, who direct vessel movement within the bay, sued NFE last year over safety measures. Carreño Coll stressed that her order stems from the fact that "time is pressing" and from the "well-being of the people of Puerto Rico."
The diesel being used for power generation in place of the gas the AMUR has not delivered is at historically high prices. Had an agreement been reached, the ship was expected possibly to enter and dock Thursday. Now it is unclear when the next opportunity for the maneuver will be, given weather and bay safety conditions.
The parties have confirmed to the judge that they sent her order to the Coast Guard, which is the first step in the process.