Puerto Rico governor signs into law renewables boosting bill

Walmart Solar in Ponce, Puerto Rico. Image by Walmart.

Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello on Thursday signed into law a bill that sets a 100% renewable energy target by 2050 and will see the island ban coal plants as from 2028.

The so-called Puerto Rico Energy Public Policy Act, also referred to as SB 1121, is expected to encourage the development of distributed power sources, including solar arrays, low-carbon microgrids and energy storage. The new law also enables automatic interconnection to the grid of residential photovoltaic (PV) systems below 25 kW, reduces to 90 days the utility approval time for commercial and industrial solar projects and establishes net metering policy and grandfathering protection.

The president of the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), Fred Krupp, welcomed the move. “This law makes clean energy a cornerstone of Puerto Rico’s reimagined energy economy. Swift implementation is a critical next step for the island to reap the full benefits,” Krupp stated.

US residential solar installer Sunrun Inc (NASDAQ:RUN) pointed out that this law “showcases the right way" to build renewable portfolio standards (RPS) as it clarifies that all scales of renewable energy production, including home solar, count for Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) for RPS compliance.

Ahora - El gobernador Ricardo Rosselló Nevares firmó hoy la Ley de Política Pública Energética de Puerto Rico junto al CEO José Ortiz Vázquez y miembros del gabinete ejecutivo de la Autoridad. CC1 pic.twitter.com/HgkJLVPMDH
— Autoridad de Energía Eléctrica (@AEEONLINE) April 11, 2019