U.S. Department of Energy Announces $325 Million for Solar and Battery Storage for Community Healthcare Facilities and Multi-Family Housing in Puerto Rico

Department of Energy release

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced a $325 million funding opportunity for the new Programa de Comunidades Resilientes, funded by a second tranche of DOE’s Puerto Rico Energy Resilience Fund (PR-ERF). This program aims to improve community-level energy resilience for vulnerable populations across Puerto Rico, funding solar and battery storage installations for community healthcare facilities as well as community centers and other common areas within public housing and privately owned subsidized multi-family properties. 

“Every municipality in Puerto Rico has a facility that could be eligible for an installation through the Programa de Comunidades Resilientes,” said Maria Robinson, Director of DOE’s Grid Deployment Office. “This program will be a key tool in improving community-level resilience, ensuring that emergency rooms stay powered, residents of multifamily housing can refrigerate medicine and food, and vital services remain available during outages within low- and middle-income communities.”

Applicants for this funding opportunity may include individual entities or teams based in Puerto Rico that can coordinate the deployment of solar and battery storage systems across many individual sites. DOE will award up to $325 million for solar and battery storage systems across two types of community infrastructure:

• Multi-Family Housing Properties: DOE anticipates awarding between $93 million and $185 million to fund solar and battery installations for community centers and common areas within public housing or privately owned multi-family housing properties subsidized by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S, Department of Agriculture. DOE anticipates funding projects that power certain common spaces available to all residents as well as shared building infrastructure that depends on electricity, such as elevators. Additionally, community centers located on Puerto Rico public housing properties would also be eligible for installations under the Programa de Comunidades Resilientes.
• Community Healthcare Facilities: DOE intends to award between $70 million and $140 million to fund solar and battery installations for federally qualified healthcare centers, dialysis centers, and diagnostic and treatment centers. 

Potential applicants may include individual organizations or teams of organizations with an existing presence in Puerto Rico that can coordinatethe deployment of projects across many facilities or properties (e.g., 100-150) in partnership with local stakeholders. Teams may include community-based organizations, consultants, engineering and design firms, grassroots organizations, nonprofits, solar installation companies, and more. Organizations that are interested in applying as part of a team for this funding opportunity may access an online Teaming Partner List to express their interest to other applicants and explore potential partnerships. 

Applications to this funding opportunity are due on October 22, 2024, at 5:00 PM EST. Visit the Grid Deployment Office website for more information on the contents of this Funding Opportunity Announcement and how to apply.

The Puerto Rico Energy Resilience Fund (PR-ERF)  
In December 2022, President Biden signed into law $1 billion for the establishment of the PR-ERF to drive key investments in renewable and resilient energy infrastructure in Puerto Rico. In July 2024, DOE announced its first installations of subsidized residential solar and battery storage systems through the PR-ERF's Programa Acceso Solar, connecting low-income Puerto Rican households with reliable and affordable energy. Residents of Puerto Rico can visit energy.gov/solarPR to check their eligibility and reach out to their local Solar Ambassador to apply.

Learn more about the Grid Deployment Office.