Generac using $200 million DOE grant to help Puerto Ricans get solar + storage
Generac Power Systems has been awarded a grant of up to $200 million over the five-year term of the award agreement with the U.S. Dept. of Energy as part of the $1 billion Puerto Rico Energy Resilience Fund (PR-ERF). Under the PR-ERF’s Programa Acceso Solar (Solar Access Program), Generac will facilitate the installation of residential solar and battery storage systems for disadvantaged Puerto Rican households. Installations will begin in August of 2024.
Generac and its local project affiliates in Puerto Rico will offer clean and resilient energy in low-income areas that experience frequent and prolonged power outages as well as to households where a resident with an energy-dependent disability resides. This funding also will support clean energy jobs and help Puerto Rico achieve its renewable energy goal of meeting its electricity needs with 100% renewable energy by 2050. Puerto Rico residents interested in applying for the program can visit the Programa Acceso Solar website to learn more.
“We’ve been providing reliable backup power solutions to the people of Puerto Rico for more than 20 years, including after Hurricane Maria devastated the island’s power grid and left 95% of residents without electricity,” said Aaron Jagdfeld, president and CEO at Generac. “We are proud to be a recipient of this DOE grant to provide clean, resilient, efficient power for those who are often underserved during outages.”
“The Programa Acceso Solar will have a transformative impact on vulnerable households by improving access to reliable and affordable energy,” said Maria Robinson, Director of DOE’s Grid Deployment Office. “DOE is pleased to partner with Generac to install residential solar and battery storage systems across Puerto Rico, improving energy resilience for households with some of the greatest need.”
Generac will be working with several companies to support the program. Two community affiliates in this effort include PathStone, a nonprofit organization providing community and workforce development and humanitarian services in Puerto Rico since 1998 and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC), a clean energy non-profit established in 1982 that leads groundbreaking community programs and market research, will together coordinate additional local community efforts to serve as liaisons between Solar Ambassadors, installers, and eligible recipients.
FR-BLDM, a leading local contractor with years of government program management experience, will lead installations working with other local, small, family-owned businesses in Puerto Rico. Juapi Energy, a PWRcell installer and Generac Service Dealer in Puerto Rico, will provide service support to residents and will perform installations. Palmetto, a climate technology company accelerating the adoption of clean energy, will extend three of its commercial software applications (fintech platform, installation partner portal, and asset management services) to help facilitate homeowners’ transition to solar and storage in Puerto Rico.
These companies will help lead workforce development and training efforts that focus on providing jobs for residents in vulnerable communities across Puerto Rico.
“Supporting local companies is an important part of our objective to provide reliable and sustainable energy solutions to Puerto Rico’s most vulnerable communities,” said Norm Taffe, president of Energy Technology at Generac. “By working with local installers and businesses, we not only gain valuable on-the-ground support but also foster job creation and community development. This collaboration helps ensure that we can deliver high-quality, resilient power solutions while uplifting the local workforce and economy.”
News item from Generac