OAK RIDGE, TN (October 2023) – Navarro Research and Engineering, Inc. (Navarro) was recently awarded the contract for Program Management and Operational Support to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Grid Deployment Office (GDO) for the Puerto Rico Energy Resilience Fund (PR-ERF). Navarro will support the implementation of the PR-ERF and its programs, benefitting the residents of Puerto Rico.

After Hurricane Fiona caused a territory-wide blackout on the island that was still rebuilding the grid after Hurricane Maria, President Joe Biden signed the FY 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act into law in December 2022, which included $1 billion to establish the PR-ERF. This fund will improve Puerto Rico’s electric grid and drive investments in renewable and resilient energy on the island, with an emphasis on vulnerable residents.

GDO’s plans currently include 2 rounds of funding, with the first round of PR-ERF funding focused on deploying more than 30,000 residential rooftop solar and storage systems to vulnerable populations. Target populations include very low-income, single-family households that are either located in areas that have a high percentage of very low-income households and experience frequent and prolonged power outages or contain a family member with an energy-dependent disability. The second funding round will be announced at a later date.

Navarro will support the implementation of the PR-ERF, including assisting future recipients of the PR-ERF’s first round Funding Opportunity Announcement and Solar Ambassador Prize in deploying residential solar and battery systems. Navarro will work closely with Community-Based Organizations in Puerto Rico to build beneficiary outreach capabilities including education and training programs for residents to learn and understand the program and benefits; support resident applicant intake and perform eligibility reviews and post-review communications; and perform post-solar installation inspections, validation, and monitoring for GDO. As a Hispanic-owned corporation, Navarro holds a special interest in the PR-ERF project.

“We see this as a way to give back to our community,” says Dr. Susana Navarro, native Spanish-speaker, founder and president of Navarro Research and Engineering, Inc. “We have a strong commitment to leveraging our successful infrastructure, experience, and approach to improve the lives of low-income, at-risk Hispanic households by improving the sustainability, affordability, and resilience of the electric supply to their homes and communities.”

Headquartered in Oak Ridge, TN, Navarro is an award-winning federal contractor that provides comprehensive solutions for environmental challenges faced across the United States for federal agencies including the Department of Energy, the National Nuclear Security Administration, the Department of Defense, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Navarro specializes in environmental remediation, D&D, waste management, nuclear operations, clean energy, facilities management, and technical and professional services. For more information, please visit Navarro-inc.com.  

Media Contact:

Ryan Overton, Executive Vice President

Phone: 865-399-4229

Email: overton@navarro-inc.com