SMEs to receive guidance on Energy Support Program 2.0
The funds come from the Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery’s Electrical Grid Reliability and Resilience Program.
The Energy Public Policy Program (PPPE, in Spanish), ascribed to the Puerto Rico Department of Economic Development and Commerce (DDEC, in Spanish), announced that it will be hosting orientation workshops for business owners interested in the second phase of the Energy Support 2.0 program for small- and medium-size enterprises (SMEs).
The program offers an incentive to cover 60% of the total project cost, up to a maximum of $50,000, for projects that include photovoltaic systems with batteries, batteries for existing systems in good condition, and charging stations for electric vehicles.
The incentive aims to provide renewable energy alternatives to reduce electricity costs. It is exclusively targeted at companies that perform critical functions in the event of a natural disaster, known as Community Lifelines, as described by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
The funds come from the Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery’s (CDBG-DR) Electrical Grid Reliability and Resilience Program (ER2), granted by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the optimization of Puerto Rico’s electrical system.
“We’re always ready to train our entrepreneurs, which is why we conduct this type of training so they can understand the benefits of this incentive, which is so important for companies that perform critical functions,” DDEC Secretary Manuel Cidre said. “We encourage them to get informed through these workshops.”
Meanwhile, PPPE Director Viviana Ali-Fortuño also urged participants to take part in these events, which will have limited space.
“We invite eligible SMEs to attend these workshops to learn firsthand about the requirements necessary to receive this incentive, which aims to help critical function companies reduce their energy costs,” Ali-Fortuño said.
The first orientation will be on May 28 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Ponce Hilton. Interested parties can reserve a spot here.
The second orientation will take place on May 29 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Hyatt Place Manatí. Interested parties can reserve their space here.
In the second phase, applications from SMEs will be accepted from June 17-24. Those interested in the Energy Support 2.0 Incentive Program can access the Program Guide here.
