Lawmakers hear developers defend Salinas and Guayama solar and battery projects amid flooding and jobs questions

Jesús Bolinaga, president of Clean Flexible Energy, and representatives of Zero One Salinas told the House of Representatives’ Commission of the South Region that their tranche-1 renewable projects in Salinas and Guayama will add substantial generation and storage capacity and bring short-term construction jobs to the region.

Bolinaga said Salinas Solar will supply 120 megawatts of solar and 175 megawatts of storage while the partner project (HubOSPB) will add about 80 megawatts and 110 megawatts of storage, a combined storage total the company described as about 285 megawatts. He also said Clean Flexible’s projects account for roughly 24% of the tranche’s generation and 57% of its storage capacity. “Salinas Solar aportará 120 megavatios de energía limpia y proveerá 175 megavatios de capacidad de almacenamiento,” Bolinaga told the commission.

Zero One’s presenter, Omar Vega Albino, said his project cleared a decade of reviews and approvals and cited the project’s tariff as among its central benefits to consumers. “Su tarifa de 9.89 centavos por kilovatio hora representa aproximadamente un 36% menos del costo vigente para los consumidores,” Vega Albino said, arguing the contract rate reduces system costs.

On local employment, the developers described a large construction footprint. Clean Flexible told the commission it had contracted more than 2,500 jobs during construction and estimated long-term operations staff would be much smaller—“solo el de operación serán alrededor de 60 personas,” Bolinaga said. Zero One’s operations lead, Mario Tomassini, told legislators the project peaked at about 383 construction workers and will retain roughly 70–75 full-time operations roles after commissioning.

Lawmakers focused much of their questioning on flood risk, aquifer recharge and changes to runoff patterns in nearby low-lying communities such as San Felipe and El Mosquito. Representatives said residents have long experienced flooding and asked whether solar installations increase runoff or channel water toward neighborhoods. Bolinaga and Vega Albino said multiple hydrologic studies and design measures—retention ponds, sediment filters, preservation of perennial vegetation and the upkeep of existing on‑site channels—minimize impacts. Bolinaga referenced a company‑retained hydrologist, Oscar Martínez, and external analyses including work by Dr. Carlos Conde Costas.

Representatives pushed for access to the underlying studies, monitoring plans and close‑out reports. Representative Nelly Lebron asked how frequently agencies would verify compliance; company witnesses said agencies (EPA, Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales, Negociado de Energía, Autoridad de Energía Eléctrica, Instituto de Cultura, municipal governments and others) conduct inspections before, during and after construction and that independent consultants submit monthly compliance reports. “Ellos tienen un plan anual que ellos cumplen y van y visitan la zona,” Bolinaga said.

Developers also described mitigation and community-engagement measures, including invitations to regulators and local leaders for site visits and ongoing community liaison staff. Vega Albino said some communities had accepted technical assistance on microgrid and community‑scale battery ideas intended to help local residents access on‑site resilience benefits.

The commission kept the hearing record open, requested copies of hydrologic and mitigation studies for the public record and scheduled field visits to the facilities and a community meeting in Salinas so residents can comment.

What happens next: companies will provide the commission with requested studies and host site visits; agencies will continue monitoring according to the permits and inspectors’ findings.