WASHINGTON, D.C. — As part of the Biden-Harris administration’s Investing in America agenda, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), through its Loan Programs Office (LPO), announced a $861.3 million loan guarantee to finance the construction of two solar photovoltaic (PV) farms equipped with battery storage and two standalone battery energy storage systems (BESS) in Puerto Rico. The facilities will be located in the municipalities of Guayama (Jobos) and Salinas and will help deliver clean, reliable, and affordable power to communities throughout Puerto Rico. The borrower is Clean Flexible Energy, LLC, an indirect subsidiary of The AES Corporation (AES) and TotalEnergies Holdings USA, Inc. that is managed under a joint venture agreement between the two companies. Today’s announcement underscores the President and Vice President’s efforts to deliver clean energy solutions that benefit communities grappling with the persistent and lingering effects of climate change.
华盛顿特区——作为拜登-哈里斯政府“投资美国”议程的一部分，美国能源部（DOE）通过其贷款项目办公室（LPO）宣布提供8.613亿美元贷款担保，用于资助在波多黎各建设两座配备电池存储的太阳能光伏（PV）发电厂和两套独立的电池储能系统（BESS）。这些设施将位于瓜亚马（Jobos）和萨利纳斯市，帮助为波多黎各各地社区提供清洁、可靠和负担得起的电力。借款方是Clean Flexible Energy, LLC，该公司是AES公司（The AES Corporation）和TotalEnergies Holdings USA, Inc.的间接子公司，由这两家公司通过合资协议共同管理。今天的宣布凸显了总统和副总统致力于为受气候变化长期影响的社区提供清洁能源解决方案的努力。
“President Biden and Vice President Harris understand that access to reliable energy is a matter of life or death—especially in the face of climate-change fueled natural disasters that are increasing in intensity and frequency,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “Today’s announcement will help add up to 200 megawatts of solar generation and another 285 megawatts of reliable storage capacity to Puerto Rico’s electric grid to improve the grid’s resilience and help reduce energy costs that have remained too high for too long for too many families—all while enabling the Commonwealth to reach its ambitious climate goals.”
美国能源部长詹妮弗·M·格兰霍姆表示：“拜登总统和哈里斯副总统理解，获得可靠能源关系到生死，尤其是在气候变化加剧的自然灾害频发且强度增加的情况下。今天的宣布将帮助波多黎各电网新增多达200兆瓦的太阳能发电和285兆瓦的可靠储能容量，以提升电网的韧性，并帮助降低长期以来过高的能源成本，同时助力波多黎各实现其雄心勃勃的气候目标。”
As part of President Biden and Vice President Harris' Investing in America agenda to create good-paying, high-quality job opportunities, this project will support approximately 750 construction jobs and more than 50 full-time jobs once fully operational. The project also supports the Biden-Harris administration’s Justice40 Initiative, which established the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments, including LPO financing, flow to disadvantaged communities, which includes most of Puerto Rico. Puerto Rican residents pay energy costs significantly higher than the U.S. average. According to the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, including the communities surrounding the Salinas and Jobos projects, faces some of the greatest energy burdens in the United States.
作为拜登总统和哈里斯副总统“投资美国”议程的一部分，该项目将在建设期支持约750个工作岗位，全面运营后将提供超过50个全职岗位。该项目还支持拜登-哈里斯政府的“正义40倡议”，该倡议目标是让包括LPO融资在内的某些联邦投资的40%总收益流向弱势社区，其中包括波多黎各的大部分地区。波多黎各居民的能源费用显著高于美国平均水平。根据气候与经济正义筛选工具，包括萨利纳斯和Jobos项目周边社区在内的波多黎各，面临全美最严重的能源负担之一。
Collectively, the project—known as Project Marahu—comprises 200 MW of solar PV and up to 285 MW (1,140 MWh) of stand-alone BESS capacity. Annually, the solar PV installations will produce approximately 460,000 MWh of energy, enough to power approximately 43,000 homes, and enhance Puerto Rico’s grid reliability and energy security. The co-location of the new solar and battery resources will help maximize the project’s energy production and improve grid stability. Battery storage will allow the project to continue to provide energy to residents even during adverse weather conditions. The operation of the solar and storage systems is expected to eventually replace existing fossil fuel-based generation and reduce emissions by nearly 2.7 million tons of CO2e per year, an amount roughly equivalent to the annual emissions of around 533,000 gasoline-powered passenger vehicles.
整体而言，该项目——称为Marahu项目——包括200兆瓦的太阳能光伏和多达285兆瓦（1,140 MWh）的独立BESS容量。太阳能光伏装置每年将产生约460,000 MWh的电能，足以为约43,000户家庭供电，同时提升波多黎各电网的可靠性和能源安全。新的太阳能和电池资源的共址将有助于最大化项目的能源生产并提升电网稳定性。电池存储系统将使项目在不利天气条件下继续为居民提供能源。预计太阳能和储能系统的运行最终将取代现有的化石燃料发电，每年减少近270万吨的CO2排放，相当于约53.3万辆汽油动力乘用车的年度排放量。
As part of the Biden-Harris administration’s efforts to build an equitable and inclusive clean energy future, LPO borrowers are also expected to develop and ultimately implement a comprehensive Community Benefits Plan (CBP) that ensures meaningful community and labor engagement, improves the well-being of residents and workers, and incorporates strong labor standards during construction, operations, and throughout the life of the loan guarantee. For the Marahu project, the CBP is being finalized and will be released to the public soon.
作为拜登-哈里斯政府努力构建公平包容的清洁能源未来的一部分，LPO借款方还需制定并最终实施一项全面的社区效益计划（CBP），确保社区和劳工的有效参与，提升居民和工人的福祉，并在建设、运营和整个贷款担保期间融入强有力的劳工标准。对于Marahu项目，CBP正在最终制定中，不久将公开发布。
The Project Marahu team includes two community relations managers who are from the Guayama community and a group of local community engagement advisors. Local labor leaders will be engaged for the construction and operations planning at both the Jobos and Salinas sites. AES, through existing facilities operating in Puerto Rico, has forged partnerships with community development non-profits and minority-serving educational institutions. AES has also worked with a variety of organizations to lead capacity-building and entrepreneurship programs for Guayama and Salinas community members and has formalized programs offering targeted training and career development opportunities for women.
Marahu项目团队包括两位来自瓜亚马社区的社区关系经理和一组本地社区参与顾问。当地工会领导者将参与Jobos和萨利纳斯站点的建设和运营规划。AES通过在波多黎各运营的现有设施，与社区发展非营利组织和少数族裔教育机构建立了合作关系。AES还与各种组织合作，为瓜亚马和萨利纳斯社区成员主导能力建设和创业项目，并制定了为女性提供针对性培训和职业发展的正式项目。
This project is financed through the Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment (EIR) program under Title 17 Clean Energy Financing Section 1706. Created by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, EIR can finance projects that retool, repower, repurpose, or replace energy infrastructure that has ceased operations or enable operating energy infrastructure to avoid, reduce, utilize, or sequester air pollutants or greenhouse gas emissions. In support of President Biden’s efforts to support economic revitalization in energy communities, Project Marahu will assist in replacing coal energy infrastructure with clean energy facilities—creating new job opportunities while lowering harmful emissions. The Puerto Rico Energy Public Policy Act (Act 17) requires Puerto Rico’s utility to cease all coal-fired energy generation by 2028 and shift to a 100% renewable energy mix by 2050.
该项目通过《能源基础设施再投资》（EIR）项目融资，根据《第17章清洁能源融资》第1706节。EIR由拜登总统的《通货膨胀削减法》创建，可为改造、重建、重新利用或更换已停止运营的能源基础设施的项目提供融资，或帮助现有能源基础设施避免、减少、利用或封存空气污染物或温室气体排放。支持拜登总统支持能源社区经济复兴的努力，Marahu项目将帮助以清洁能源设施取代燃煤能源基础设施——在降低有害排放的同时创造新的就业机会。根据波多黎各能源公共政策法（第17号法案），波多黎各的公用事业必须在2028年前停止所有燃煤发电，并在2050年前转向100%可再生能源结构。
Today’s announcement is one of many actions DOE has taken to help strengthen Puerto Rico’s grid modernization and energy resiliency. In December 2022, President Biden authorized $1 billion for the establishment of the Puerto Rico Energy Resilience Fund (PR-ERF), which is administered by DOE’s Grid Deployment Office. The PR-ERF is a separate federal funding source to drive key investments in renewable and resilient energy infrastructure in Puerto Rico. For more information on how Puerto Rico can attain a resilient, 100% renewable grid by 2050, read DOE’s Puerto Rico Grid Resilience and Transitions to 100% Renewable Energy Study (PR100).
今天的宣布是美国能源部采取的众多行动之一，旨在帮助加强波多黎各电网现代化和能源韧性。2022年12月，拜登总统批准了10亿美元，用于设立波多黎各能源韧性基金（PR-ERF），由美国能源部的电网部署办公室管理。PR-ERF是一个独立的联邦资金来源，用于推动在波多黎各进行关键的可再生和韧性能源基础设施投资。关于波多黎各如何在2050年前实现韧性、100%可再生电网的更多信息，请参阅美国能源部的波多黎各电网韧性和向100%可再生能源过渡研究（PR100）。
Across all LPO’s programs, DOE has attracted 211 applications for projects across the country totaling over $305.3 billion in requested loans and loan guarantees, as of September 2024.
截至2024年9月，美国能源部在其所有贷款项目办公室（LPO）的项目中，已吸引了来自全国范围的211个项目申请，总计超过3053亿美元的贷款和贷款担保。
