Notice about Proposed Regulation Adoption

The Puerto Rico Energy Bureau (“Energy Bureau”) of the Puerto Rico Public Service Regulatory Board, pursuant to Act 57-2014, as amended, known as the Puerto Rico Energy Transformation and RELIEF Act, Act 239-2004, as amended, known as General Cooperative Associations Act of 2004, Act 258-2018, known as the Puerto Rico Energy Cooperatives Act and Act 38-2017, as amended, known as the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act of the Government of Puerto Rico, proposes to adopt the Regulation for Electric Cooperatives in Puerto Rico.

On December 14, 2018 the Government of Puerto Rico enacted Act 258-2018 to authorize the organization of Electric Cooperatives in Puerto Rico and regulate them.  Act 258-2018 requires the Energy Bureau to prescribe the regulatory framework for the Electric Cooperatives.  The purpose of this Regulation is to establish the requirements for the formation of Electric Cooperatives, their certification as electric power service companies, the rates for services provided by such cooperatives and the jurisdiction of the Energy Bureau over the Electric Cooperatives.

The Energy Bureau, through the adoption of this Regulation, aims to contribute to the public policy established by the Government of Puerto Rico to promote the development of a de-centralized energy model capable of providing renewable energy options to the residents of Puerto Rico, which strengthens the electric system resilience to natural disasters.

The text of the Proposed Regulation is available for public scrutiny at the Energy Bureau’s Clerk Office, in the World Plaza Building, 268 Muñoz Rivera Ave., Plaza Level Suite 202, San Juan, PR 00918. The working hours of the Energy Bureau are between 8:30 a.m. and 12:00 m. and from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., on business days. The regulation proposal will also be published along this Notice on the Energy Bureau’s Internet website, www.energia.pr.gov.

During thirty (30) days, starting from the publication date of this Notice, any interested person shall be able to submit comments in writing or request a public hearing about the Regulation. When requesting a public hearing, the petition shall include the justifications to grant such hearing. Comments and/or petitions for a public hearing must be addressed to the attention of Edison Avilés Deliz, Chairman, and shall be filed by (i) electronic mail at: comentarios@energia.pr.gov; (ii) by the Energy Bureau’s electronic filing tool at: https://radicacion.energia.pr.gov/; (iii) by postal mail addressed to the Puerto Rico Energy Bureau’s Clerk’s Office at World Plaza Building, 268 Muñoz Rivera Ave., Plaza Level Suite 202, San Juan, PR 00918; or (iv) in person at the Energy Bureau’s Clerk’s Office, located at the address above.

Furthermore, consistent with the Energy Bureau’s public participation policy, the any person interested may appear at the Public Hearing scheduled for April 22, 2019 at 10:00 am at the Energy Bureau’s Hearing Room at the World Plaza Building, 268 Muñoz Rivera Ave., 8^th Floor, in San Juan, Puerto Rico.