House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-AR) and Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-CA) issued the following statement in response to the widespread power outage across Puerto Rico:

“We share the frustration of our fellow Americans in Puerto Rico as they endured an island-wide power outage.  

"This most recent blackout, which began Wednesday at 12:38 p.m., at its peak left more than 1 million customers in the dark and impacted hundreds of businesses. Critical facilities relied on backup generators to continue operations.

"As the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Committee of jurisdiction over Puerto Rico matters generally, we call on the island’s energy infrastructure operators to do everything in their power to prevent outages of this scale from happening again. This will be particularly important as the high-demand summer season approaches. We are committed to working closely with the Governor, the federal government, and other elected officials to ensure a reliable energy supply for the people of Puerto Rico.”