Overview
- The U.S. Government Accountability Office released an 86‑page audit Wednesday that found roughly 25% of about $14 billion obligated for Puerto Rico’s power grid after Hurricane Maria has been disbursed to the territory.
- The audit shows large shortfalls by agency: FEMA has disbursed about $2.7 billion of $11 billion obligated, HUD about $589 million of $2.9 billion, and DOE about $255 million of $1 billion.
- Auditors identified causes that slowed spending, including high staff turnover, lengthy project review processes, PREPA’s more than $10 billion debt restructuring, long lead times for parts, and a June 2025 DHS rule requiring senior signoff that was rescinded in April 2026.
- DOE redirected roughly $365 million from planned solar work to emergency grid repairs and canceled up to $350 million in solar access grants, and clearing of vegetation on transmission lines has seen limited use of federal funds with only 400 federally funded miles cleared of a 16,000‑mile plan.
- The GAO urged clearer agency roles and updated FEMA guidance; DOE and DHS concurred with recommendations while DHS emphasized that Puerto Rico’s government remains responsible for a comprehensive rebuild and officials warn outages and slow project delivery will continue to affect residents.