The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority has been abruptly left without leadership while, close to the peak of the hurricane season, repairs to the damage caused by Storm Isaiah have not been completed and facing an agenda of programmatic projects that are critical to the transformation of Puerto Rico’s energy system.

José Ortiz has left the position of executive director after Governor Wanda Vázquez expressed her dissatisfaction with the delay in restoring power to thousands of homes and businesses. The departure of this veteran professional, following the governor’s meeting with PREPA Governing Board to demand accountability, came just days before  primary elections in Puerto Rico, in which the current governor in the race for the PNP candidacy.

Stabilizing the public utility is key to implement an efficiency plan without political influence. And it is also essential to face the dangerous COVID-19 pandemic. Any effort to save lives requires a sound energy system for hospitals, homes with sick people and homes in general. That has been one of the main lessons from Hurricane María.

PREPA has been left without an executive director in this complicated moment. This crisis needs a solution without improvisation and political strategies. The government is faced with the irrefutable fact that Puerto Rico’s power grid has, once again, barely withstand another natural phenomenon approaching the island.

There are shared responsibilities for the mismanagement that left thousands of families without power for at least three days, 23,000 of those customers were still without service yesterday. Ortiz did not explain the magnitude of the problem. False expectations circulated among customers, many of whom are businesses barely surviving the restrictions imposed by the coronavirus. And they have been several days buying electricity which is almost ruining them.

After a meeting with the president of PREPA Governing Board, Ralph Kreil, and after accepting Ortiz’s resignation, the governor did not give details of her conversation with Kreil. Vázquez and Kreil decided that Ortiz’s departure was extremely urgent, but they did not tell the people how they reached that conclusion and that does not bring transparency to the government.

Nor does it help if there is even the slightest shadow of doubt about rushing to announce the resignation as primary elections are so close.

Ortiz’s resignation does not clarify anything. It does not suggest that the way has been cleared towards modernization or at least to stabilize the power grid. The government must ensure that uncertainty does not hang over the future of agreements and negotiations on which PREPA´s transformation depends.

Puerto Rico is going through challenging times. Rear Admiral Peter Brown, the White House-appointed Reconstruction Coordinator, promised that transforming the energy system would be a priority - yesterday he lamented Ortiz’s resignation - in that sense, it seems wise for the island’s government to take on the task of putting PREPA’s plans on track.

PREPA Governing Board as well as the governor must be provided with the input from those who can help them bridge this void.

Puerto Rico will not be satisfied with easy arrangements, such as the abrupt departure of the executive director. The island´s government has a responsibility to immediately find a consensus with the federal government and a solid course of action for Puerto Rico´s energy future. There is no room for an agenda not related to sound public management.