A federal court has intervened in the dispute between the government of Puerto Rico and New Fortress Energy (NFE) amid uncertainty over the supply of natural gas for electricity generation on the island. By court order, NFE must facilitate access to its facilities so that other suppliers can deliver natural gas for power generation. The order has an initial duration of 14 days and was issued after the activation of a clause in the gas supply contract that allows NFE’s facilities to be used by different distributors.
Some nevertheless believe Puerto Rico could have more options. The lack of natural gas is forcing generators to run on diesel, which could increase energy production costs. The dispute intensified after New Fortress’s general director admitted before the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee of the House of Representatives that the company could not guarantee when the next shipment of natural gas would arrive.
The court scheduled a hearing for Monday, November 2, at 3:00 PM to address matters related to the orders it issued.