Solar Groups Challenge Rate Structure, Cite Impact on Consumers
The Puerto Rico Solar Energy and Storage Association (SESA) and Solar United Neighbors (SUN) filed a joint motion for reconsideration before the Puerto Rico Energy Bureau (NEPR), requesting revisions to key elements of the recently approved electric rate structure to better protect consumers.
The motion challenges aspects of the NEPR’s Resolution and Final Order issued on April 15, 2026, arguing that certain provisions may conflict with existing energy laws, including Law 114-2007, Law 57-2014, and Law 17-2019. These statutes establish principles of affordability, equity, non-discrimination, and the promotion of distributed renewable energy.
According to SESA and SUN, the approved rate structure significantly increases the residential fixed charge, raising it from $4 to $16 per month over a relatively short period. The organizations estimate that the change would add $192 annually to customers’ bills before any electricity consumption, shifting costs from higher-usage customers to low-consumption households, including lower-income families and those with rooftop solar systems.
Javier Rúa Jovet, SESA’s director of public policy, said the structure “penalizes those who consume less energy and those who have invested or will invest in efficient solutions and solar energy,” adding that it disproportionately affects vulnerable populations and diverges from Puerto Rico’s public energy policy.
The motion also raises concerns about the elimination of the inclined block rate structure for residential customers, a pricing model historically used to incentivize energy efficiency. Rúa Jovet noted that removing this mechanism could weaken incentives to reduce consumption and complicate efforts to meet the island’s statutory goal of achieving 30% energy efficiency by 2040.
According to SESA and SUN, the approved rate structure significantly increases the residential fixed charge, raising it from $4 to $16 per month over a relatively short period.(Photo: Puerto Rico Solar Energy and Storage Association)
Energy Czar Josué Colón Ortiz confirms the unsolicited submission cleared its initial compliance review The Puerto Rico Public-Private Partnerships (P3) Authority has confirmed that the unsolicited proposal for the proposed Proyecto Hostos has successfully passed its initial compliance review and will now enter a 60‑day evaluation period, according to Energy Czar and Authority Executive Director […]
Judge Says Accounting Case Must Proceed First U.S. District Court Judge Laura Taylor Swain on Wednesday denied Prepa bondholders’ renewed push to lift long‑standing litigation stays, ruling that the court will not green-light stay‑relief or dismissal motions until the ongoing accounting counterclaim—now the centerpiece of the case—has been fully litigated. The decision, delivered from the […]
