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Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Pierluisi Receives Briefing on Vía Verde Project From U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Washington, DC- Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi met this morning with officials from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to receive a status update on the Corps’ review of the permit application for the Vía Verde project. The officials assured the Resident Commissioner that the Corps is taking seriously its obligation to ensure that the project complies with all relevant legal requirements.

The meeting, which took place in Pierluisi’s office, was attended by Colonel Al Pantano, the Commander of the Army Corps of Engineers’ Jacksonville District; Donnie Kinard, Chief of the Regulatory Division at the Jacksonville District; Oswaldo Collazo, Branch Chief of the Permitting Section at the Jacksonville District; John Kasbar, Assistant District Counsel for the Corps; and Matt Gapinski, the Congressional Liaison for the Jacksonville District.

“I am pleased that these senior officials from the Corps of Engineers came to see me this morning to update me on the status of the Corps’ evaluation of the permit for the Vía Verde project. I have no doubt that the professionals at the Corps will fulfill all of their legal obligations with respect to this matter,” said Pierluisi.

In April, the Resident Commissioner urged the Corps of Engineers to render a decision on the Vía Verde permit application in a manner consistent with all applicable laws and regulations, in light of the project’s critical importance to lowering the cost of electricity and improving the environment in Puerto Rico.

The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) has proposed to build the Vía Verde project, which is a pipeline designed to transport natural gas from the EcoEléctrica liquefied natural gas import terminal on Puerto Rico’s southwest coast to three PREPA power plants located on the Island’s north coast.

Puerto Rico currently produces the vast majority of its electric power from imported oil. The average cost of electricity on the Island is more than double the average cost in the U.S. mainland. The price differential—and the negative impact on Puerto Rico’s economy—has become more pronounced as a result of the recent spike in oil prices. The Vía Verde project will allow terminals at the three PREPA power plants to be converted to burn natural gas, which is cleaner than oil. Beyond improving air quality, this project will increase the operational flexibility of PREPA’s system and allow it to generate electricity at the lowest possible cost, resulting in substantial savings for individuals and industry.

Washington, DC- Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi met this morning with officials from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to receive a status update on the Corps’ review of the permit application for the Vía Verde project. The officials assured the Resident Commissioner that the Corps is taking seriously its obligation to ensure that the project complies with all relevant legal requirements.

The meeting, which took place in Pierluisi’s office, was attended by Colonel Al Pantano, the Commander of the Army Corps of Engineers’ Jacksonville District; Donnie Kinard, Chief of the Regulatory Division at the Jacksonville District; Oswaldo Collazo, Branch Chief of the Permitting Section at the Jacksonville District; John Kasbar, Assistant District Counsel for the Corps; and Matt Gapinski, the Congressional Liaison for the Jacksonville District.

“I am pleased that these senior officials from the Corps of Engineers came to see me this morning to update me on the status of the Corps’ evaluation of the permit for the Vía Verde project. I have no doubt that the professionals at the Corps will fulfill all of their legal obligations with respect to this matter,” said Pierluisi.

In April, the Resident Commissioner urged the Corps of Engineers to render a decision on the Vía Verde permit application in a manner consistent with all applicable laws and regulations, in light of the project’s critical importance to lowering the cost of electricity and improving the environment in Puerto Rico.

The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) has proposed to build the Vía Verde project, which is a pipeline designed to transport natural gas from the EcoEléctrica liquefied natural gas import terminal on Puerto Rico’s southwest coast to three PREPA power plants located on the Island’s north coast.

Puerto Rico currently produces the vast majority of its electric power from imported oil. The average cost of electricity on the Island is more than double the average cost in the U.S. mainland. The price differential—and the negative impact on Puerto Rico’s economy—has become more pronounced as a result of the recent spike in oil prices. The Vía Verde project will allow terminals at the three PREPA power plants to be converted to burn natural gas, which is cleaner than oil. Beyond improving air quality, this project will increase the operational flexibility of PREPA’s system and allow it to generate electricity at the lowest possible cost, resulting in substantial savings for individuals and industry.