Jean Peña Payano, Public Affairs secretary at La Fortaleza, the governor’s office in Puerto Rico, acknowledged on Tuesday that he has no information to confirm whether the government has met with a company that could replace New Fortress Energy (NFE) in supplying natural gas, while some generating units keep running on diesel. "I don’t have that information available at the moment," he said when asked about talks with an alternate supplier.
It always passes on to the people. The rope breaks at the thinnest point.
He said the government hopes for progress in the court process tied to the provisional injunction granted by the federal court, which ordered NFEnergía to provide information and procedures so other suppliers can access its facilities. "We will communicate, but right now they are operating with diesel, as reported; we hope the court moves faster so we can inform the people of Puerto Rico," he said.
The controversy follows New Fortress’s acknowledgment before a legislative committee that it could not guarantee when the next natural gas shipment would reach San Juan. The federal court ordered the company to report how much fuel is available, identify the facilities that other suppliers can use, and hand over the technical procedures needed to receive third-party gas.
The provisional order also bars it from obstructing alternate supply or conditioning it on payment of disputed bills. Peña Payano said the entities tied to the electric system should give periodic updates on efforts to restore gas supply, including the Energy Czar and P3. He said the extra cost of using diesel instead of natural gas should not fall on consumers: "It should not pass on to the people."
He added: "It always passes on to the people. The rope breaks at the thinnest point."