‍Press Conference Link:

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1AWZwiTxki/

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January 29, 2026 – Vega Baja, Puerto Rico — With the goal of improving energy capacity at the lowest possible cost, Governor Jenniffer González Colón, together with the Genera PR team, announced the construction of the island’s second energy storage system. Once the full 430 MW are installed, the project is expected to reduce load shedding by approximately 90 percent.

The Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project in Vega Baja includes the demolition and decommissioning of the Peaker units that previously operated at the site. Preparatory work is currently underway to ready the area for construction of the foundation that will support the BESS batteries, which will store 49 MW of energy at this location.

BESS technology stores electricity generated from various available energy sources and allows it to be dispatched to the grid during periods of high demand or generation shortfalls. Battery deliveries for the Vega Baja installation have already begun.

In February 2025, Genera PR and Tesla entered a contract for the installation of Megapacks at the Cambalache (Arecibo), Vega Baja, Palo Seco (Toa Baja), Yabucoa (Humacao), Aguirre (Salinas), and Costa Sur (Guayanilla) power plants, adding a total of 430 MW of energy storage capacity. This project represents the largest Tesla-developed initiative of its kind in the United States.

The total federal investment for the island-wide project amounts to $767 million, broken down as follows: $533.5 million for equipment procurement and $235.7 million for equipment installation. Of the equipment procurement funds, $404.7 million have already been disbursed and fully reimbursed by FEMA (90 percent) and the Puerto Rico Department of Housing through CDBG-DR funds (10 percent). This represents the use of 76 percent of the federal funds approved for the purchase of these batteries. All installations are expected to be operational by the end of 2027.

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