He said CUC applied for and has received grants from the federal government to rebuild and improve the power and water infrastructure in the CNMI.
The grants are used to rehabilitate the power plants, wells, water lines and sewer lift stations, he said.
CUC also used the grants to purchase equipment and hire personnel as mandated by the two federal stipulated orders.
About $21 million was allocated for water and wastewater projects and less than $13 million went to the power division, Malae said.
He said the grants also have made an impact on the levelized energy adjustment clause rate imposed by CUC on its customers.
“Without these funds, CUC would have had to request for a rate increase that is higher than what it is currently requesting. Like any business, the cost that we have incurred so far would have been incorporated into the customer billing,” Malae said.
Aside from these grants, he said CUC has applied for additional federal assistance to cover the costs of continued improvements, upgrades and compliance with the stipulated orders as well as for customer service.
“We are keeping our fingers crossed on the various grant applications already submitted to OIA’s Operations and Maintenance Improvement Program, to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Economic Development Administration through the water task force, and through Congressman Gregorio Kilili Sablan Camacho’s office,” Malae said.
He said two private firms have also prepared grant applications to the USDA on behalf of CUC for financing renewable energy projects on Rota.
Malae said CUC credits the assistance of its partners, the governor’s CIP Office, the EPA field representatives, the CNMI Division of Energy and the water task force.
The water task force, he added, was able to secure over $6 million in grant funding for such projects as the Puerto Rico transmission and distribution line, well field isolation, water system improvements, Agag water system well fields isolation Part A, Papago waterline construction and TP-1 water well and water line connection.
