Puerto Rico governor pledges to improve island’s crumbling power grid after repeated outages

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rico’s governor pledged Thursday to improve the island’s crumbling electric grid and boost the economy in her first address after being elected last year as anger intensifies over chronic power outages and an increase in cost-of-living expenses.

Governor Jenniffer González Colón, of the pro-statehood New Progressive Party, spoke for nearly two hours as she listed her accomplishments since taking office in January and announced multimillion-dollar investments to improve Puerto Rico’s health, education and public safety.

“Without a doubt, the road has been difficult and full of lessons that we must ensure we don’t repeat,” she said.

González Colón said the upcoming budget includes funds to hire 800 new police officers, $12 million to hire new firefighters and $24 million to recruit resident doctors as health professionals continue to move to the US mainland, leaving Puerto Rico with few or no specialists in certain areas.

She noted that more than 60%, or roughly $8 billion, of the upcoming general fund budget is slated for health, education and public safety.

The budget has not yet been approved.

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