What's happening? Caribbean Transmission Development Co. (CTDC) formally submitted an unsolicited proposal to the Autoridad para las Alianzas Público-Privadas (AAPP) to develop the Proyecto Hostos, a high-voltage direct current (HVDC) submarine electrical interconnection between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic of up to 700 megawatts, along with new electricity generation capacity for the Island.
The submission comes nearly three months after the company received a presidential permit from the federal Department of Energy (DOE) to interconnect the electrical systems of the two Caribbean islands.
Why does it matter? The project aims to "strengthen the reliability, resilience and flexibility of Puerto Rico's electrical system" through access to external energy resources and new international energy infrastructure authorized by the U.S. federal government.
Context
The proposal was submitted on May 14, the company announced in a press release on May 19.
Proyecto Hostos already holds a federal Presidential Permit order for the construction, operation and maintenance of the international interconnection.
CTDC stated that the project has been years in the making through technical, environmental and regulatory processes in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and the United States.
What's next. The AAPP will evaluate the proposal according to the processes established by law. While the administrative review is ongoing, CTDC indicated that it will not comment on the merits or content of the offer.
The quote. "Proyecto Hostos represents unique international energy infrastructure within Puerto Rico's electrical system," CTDC said in a written statement. "CTDC will continue collaborating with the relevant agencies and entities in accordance with the processes established by law and in compliance with all applicable regulatory requirements."
What comes next?
In addition to the process with the AAPP and the permitting process required for any development of this kind, Proyecto Hostos will need approval from the Autoridad de Energía Eléctrica (AEE), the Negociado de Energía (NEPR) and the Junta de Supervisión Fiscal.
In the Dominican Republic. A permitting process must also be completed in the neighboring country, along with environmental studies and right-of-way requests, among other steps.
Learn about the construction process and project details here.
This content was translated with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
