The controversial Jones Act has been put on pause for two months due to the situation in Iran. Puerto Rican lawmakers in Connecticut said the temporary waiver is not enough for the island or their state.
“The 60-day waiver is welcomed, but temporary relief does not solve a structural problem,” said Rep. Christopher Rosario of Bridgeport. “Connecticut residents pay more for energy and clean energy projects because of these outdated restrictions.”
The 100-year-old maritime law requires all imports touch the U.S. mainland before coming to Puerto Rico by U.S.-flagged ships. On an island that cannot manufacture much of its needs, this raises the cost of living for residents every day.
Connecticut State Rep. Rosario called on the U.S. Congress last year to amend the Jones Act to provide certain exemptions for Puerto Rico and Connecticut in terms of natural gas. Both have some of the highest energy costs in the country.
“The governor, during his State of the State speech last year, he mentioned natural gas and making changes to the Jones Act, and I was the only one that got up and clapped,” Rosario said.
Rosario said he has been working with the Cato Institute and others from both sides of the aisle to bring awareness to perceived problems with the Jones Act.
Rep. Aundré Bumgardner also sees this as a bipartisan issue. The Coastal Connecticut native is from a military family originally from Humacao and was first elected as a Republican in 2014.
“It's not just about limiting the imports into Puerto Rico,” Bumgardner said. “It's a lot more comprehensive as it pertains to the construction of critical shipping, as well, within our country.”
Bumgardner, who is now a Democrat, represents a district that includes the United States Naval Submarine Base in New London and the manufacturing site for many of the country’s nuclear-powered submarines in Groton.
“The Jones Act is absolutely critical to the function of that sort of maritime economy,” Bumgardner said. “But on the other end, our brothers and sisters in Puerto Rico have gotten the short end of the stick historically because of the Jones Act.”
At UConn’s annual policy summit on Puerto Ricans in the state over the weekend, Bumgardner helped lead the panel on electrical rates in Connecticut. Puerto Rico has struggled with its energy grid, especially in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, but Bumgardner said there is a parallel to be made with his corner of the state.
“In Groton, we have the Municipal Electric Energy Cooperative, and last year, the electric utility delivered a 9.5% rate reduction, when the investor-owned utilities actually increased the costs on repairs significantly,” Bumgardner said. “In my opinion, the wave of the future is public ownership of our natural resources in our electric system.”
As a potential 40% rate hike from the island’s energy provider still looms, Bumgardner’s hope for Puerto Rico is that this 60-day waiver can help alleviate some of the burden on importing oil and natural gas. Both are critically needed in a U.S. territory with energy costs comparable to Connecticut — and household incomes averaging about a quarter as much.
