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Cathy Kunkel
Energy Finance Analyst Cathy Kunkel has written reports and given expert testimony on the finances of Appalachian natural gas pipelines and drilling; electric utility mergers, rates and resource planning; energy efficiency; and Puerto Rico’s electrical system. She has degrees in physics from Princeton and Cambridge.
Una central de ciclo combinado de 400 megavatios (MW) y 11 plantas de pico nuevas recibirán 850 millones de dólares de los fondos federales
En agosto de 2020 el Negociado de Energía de Puerto Rico aprobó un plan a largo plazo para el sistema eléctrico de la isla en el que se pedían mayores inversiones en energía renovable y almacenamiento. Dicha entidad había trabajado durante meses integrando análisis de varias partes interesadas y finalmente había rechazado nuevas iniciativas de […]
$850 million in federal funds targeted for 400-megawatt (MW) combined-cycle natural gas plant and 11 new peaker plants
In August 2020, the Puerto Rico Energy Bureau approved a long-term plan for the island’s electrical system that called for greater investments in renewable energy and storage. The bureau worked for months to integrate analysis from a variety of stakeholders and eventually rejected new natural gas initiatives because of their costs and logistical challenges. Yet […]
El préstamo del Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico plantea más preguntas sobre los ahorros derivados de la privatización del sistema de transmisión y distribución
La semana anterior a la Navidad, la Junta de Supervisión y Administración Financiera de Puerto Rico (JSAF) anunció cautelosamente un plan para que el Gobierno del estado libre asociado preste casi 1000 millones de dólares a su Autoridad de Energía Eléctrica (AEE) con el fin de facilitar la privatización del sistema de transmisión y distribución […]
Commonwealth loan raises more questions about savings from T&D privatization
The week before Christmas, the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico (FOMB) quietly announced a plan for the commonwealth’s government to loan almost $1 billion to its electrical power authority (PREPA) to facilitate the privatization of the island’s transmission and distribution system. This plan was presented in a poorly documented filing that reveals that […]
Oversight board should reverse course and support an independent Inspector General for PREPA
The Puerto Rico Financial Oversight and Management Board (FOMB) has remained fairly quiet during the last several weeks of turmoil and massive demonstrations that have rocked Puerto Rico in protest over the corruption of the Rosselló administration. On July 23rd, the Board issued a press release stating that, “The people of Puerto Rico deserve a well-functioning, […]
La Junta de Supervisión debe invertir el curso y apoyar a un Inspector General independiente para la AEE
La Junta de Supervisión y Administración Financiera de Puerto Rico (JSAF) ha permanecido bastante tranquila durante las últimas semanas de agitación y manifestaciones masivas que han sacudido a Puerto Rico en protesta por la corrupción de la administración Rosselló. El 23 de julio, la Junta emitió un comunicado de prensa afirmando que “el pueblo de […]
The public must choose reform or face more corruption
The series of political scandals that have rocked Puerto Rico over the last few weeks have created an opportunity for one of two outcomes: either a fundamental reform of Puerto Rico’s governance or the risk of more corruption in the ensuing chaos. The rolling scandal – the arrests of former Cabinet officials and private contractors including the managing […]
El público debe elegir la reforma del gobierno o más corrupción
La serie de escándalos políticos que ha sacudido a Puerto Rico en las últimas semanas ha creado una oportunidad para uno de dos desenlaces: una reforma fundamental de la gobernabilidad de Puerto Rico o el riesgo de más corrupción en el caos subsiguiente. El escándalo rodante: las detenciones de ex funcionarios del Gabinete y contratistas […]
IPSIG solution should be implemented immediately
In the last three weeks, the former Puerto Rico secretaries of the Department of Education and Health Insurance Administration have been indicted on corruption charges. The secretary of the Treasury was fired. The secretary of State and the Chief Financial Officer of the Commonwealth were fired for their participation in an extensive chat conversation between […]
La situación actual es repentina e inesperada, pero no del todo sorprendente
En las últimas tres semanas, la exsecretaria del Departamento de Educación y la exdirectora de la Administración de Seguros de Salud (ASES) fueron arrestadas y acusadas de cargos de corrupción. El secretario de Hacienda fue despedido. El secretario de Estado y el principal oficial financiero del gobierno fueron despedidos por su participación en una extensa […]
IEEFA: Puerto Rico power authority continues end-run attempts around regulators with federally-funded natural gas plans
$850 million in federal funds targeted for 400-megawatt (MW) combined-cycle natural gas plant and 11 new peaker plants
In August 2020, the Puerto Rico Energy Bureau approved a long-term plan for the island’s electrical system that called for greater investments in renewable energy and storage. The bureau worked for months to integrate analysis from a variety of stakeholders and eventually rejected new natural gas initiatives because of their costs and logistical challenges. Yet […]