Governor announces Agreement between the Corps of Engineers and the Electric Power Authority

This Office of the Governor release was published using machine translation.

(June 29, 2023) – The Governor of Puerto Rico, Pedro R. Pierluisi, announced the signing of a Collaborative Agreement between the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Puerto Rico Power Authority Electrica (AEE) to ensure the permanent stability, strength and resilience of the Guajataca Dam, which suffered severe damage due to the impact of Hurricane María, in September 2017.

“We are carrying out an extremely important project for our people in the northwest area. Ensuring the stability of the Guajataca Dam is crucial for over a thousand families that live nearby and are exposed to possible flooding and danger in the event of a failure. The dam provides water for agricultural irrigation and has a hydroelectric system that is going to be rehabilitated. Furthermore, it supplies drinking water to the filtration plants in Guajataca, Quebradillas, Isabela and Montaña de Aguadilla, which in turn serve more than 300,000 people in San Sebastián, Quebradillas, Isabela, Moca, Aguada and Aguadilla.” the chief executive said.

The governor added that “a new mission will now begin for the permanent phase of this project, which apart from the permanent improvements, will have an early warning system that will notify emergency management agencies in advance in the event of an event that may require an eviction or any other action that is necessary to save life and property. The works to be carried out, whose cost is estimated to reach one billion dollars, will give the dam stability, strength and resilience in the future that will prevent future damage. This project is a major one and is another example of our Administration and the federal government working together for the benefit of our citizens."

The Guajataca dam suffered serious damage during the hurricane, particularly in the spillway (spillway structure), as well as the pipes and the water intake, endangering the stability of the dam. For these purposes, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the USACE and PREPA carried out emergency work and, after the Dam's stabilization, future risk mitigation work was carried out, such as such as repairs to the existing openings and gates and the reconnection of the water pipe that connects the reservoir with the canal.

Under this new Agreement, USACE will provide support for works on the dam, which will include design and engineering work, procurement, contract administration, supervision of construction works, and project management and financing.

For the executive director of PREPA, Josué Colón, "with the signing of this historic Agreement between the Corps of Engineers and the Electric Power Authority, we ensure that the damages caused by Hurricane María to the Guajataca dam are permanently repaired and the rebuilt and improved facility, in compliance with the current security codes of the Corps of Engineers, for the peace of mind and benefit of the citizens who reside in the municipalities surrounding the dam and those who benefit from the water it stores".

Prior to signing the Agreement, the Governor received an update on the main projects being carried out by the Corps of Engineers, which include flood control works for the Río la Plata, Río Grande de Arecibo, Río Grande de Loíza, Río Culebrinas and the Río Big Manatee. Likewise, the progress of other important projects was updated, such as the improvements to the Port of San Juan, the dredging and ecological restoration of Caño Martín Peña, the investment program in conservation and energy resilience of the Army Reserve in Puerto Rico and the construction of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) facilities.

“In addition, today I received a new update on the progress of the work led by the Puerto Rico Power System Stabilization Task Force, in response to my request for assistance to guarantee our generation capacity. We inspected the generators that we already have producing 150 megawatts of energy and they confirmed that they expect the additional temporary generation of 200 megawatts to start up in August, which is being installed at the San Juan Power Plant,” said the chief executive.

Meanwhile, General Daniel Hibner, who heads the South Atlantic Division of the United States Army Corps of Engineers, expressed that “the task force represents a great opportunity to make history in Puerto Rico. Everything is about protecting the life and property of Puerto Ricans, through flood mitigation, through projects such as the Río La Plata and Río Grande de Arecibo projects. The mission is to improve the quality of life and promote the economy, through the development of sustainable and resilient infrastructure to reduce flood damage for future generations.

General Hibner added that “we are committed to overcoming the challenges of the electrical grid in Puerto Rico, which have worsened after the recent hurricanes. The Corps is contributing, with its technical expertise, to pump more power into the grid. In addition, we are building the infrastructure necessary to rapidly respond to power generation and repair issues, both now and in the future."

Both the governor and the Corps of Engineers and the staff of the Electric Power Authority reiterated their commitment to continue working together on the transformation of the energy system to make it more resilient and modern.