GAO flags slow Puerto Rico grid recovery after Hurricane Maria
United States National Accountability Fast Follow — a July 2 GAO report says most of the federal money for Puerto Rico’s grid recovery is still undisbursed, with reviews, staffing gaps and coordination problems slowing progress.
Puerto Rico’s electric grid is still recovering nine years after Hurricane Maria. A Government Accountability Office report released July 2 said federal agencies have obligated about $14 billion for grid recovery and modernization since 2017, but only a fraction has been disbursed.
GAO said FEMA alone had obligated about $11.1 billion, but only about $2.7 billion had been disbursed. HUD and the Energy Department also obligated money for grid work, yet most of those funds had not reached projects on the island.
What is slowing the work
The audit points to cumbersome environmental and historic-preservation reviews, staff turnover, complex funding rules and weak coordination among agencies. GAO also said that, as of February 2026, about 400 miles of transmission and distribution lines had been cleared with federal funds, far short of the 16,000 miles planned.
GAO made five open recommendations, including three for FEMA and two for the Energy Department, aimed at streamlining reviews and clarifying roles and coordination. For residents, the takeaway is simple: the money is obligated, but the recovery is still moving slowly on the ground.
Sources
- U.S. Government Accountability Office report on Puerto Rico grid recovery
- Associated Press report on the GAO audit
- NOTUS report on Puerto Rico recovery aid delays
- House Natural Resources Committee press release on the GAO report
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