Puerto Rico in Distress

ABI Analysis

Puerto Rico announced on Sunday that it plans to privatize electricity generation, a first for a U.S. territory facing chronic power outages as it struggles to rebuild a crumbling electric grid, the Associated Press reported.

The House on Thursday passed a bill that would allow Puerto Ricans to decide their future governing status, a long-sought goal on the island territory, the Washington Post reported. The vote was 233-to-191, with 16 Republicans breaking ranks and joining Democrats in backing the measure.

Puerto Rico’s financial oversight board filed a plan to restructure about $9 billion of power utility debt after failing to reach a deal with bondholders, signaling the agency’s five-year bankruptcy will take even longer to resolve, Bloomberg News reported.

Luma Energy won approval from Puerto Rico’s financial oversight board for a contract extension to run the island’s government-owned power grid amid criticism that the historically fragile electric system remains unreliable, Bloomberg News reported.

Other Resources

The Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico was created under the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management and Economic Stability Act of 2016. The Board consists of seven members appointed by the President of the United States and one ex officio member designated by the Governor of Puerto Rico. Access information on the Board, documents, videos of meetings, calendar of events and live webcasts by clicking here.