Hamm has released the following statement on the formation of the PREPA TAC and the release of the Working Groups “Building Back Better” report.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Julia Hamm, President and CEO of the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA), has been named as one of the 11 founding members of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authoritys (PREPA) Transformation Advisory Council (TAC). She is also on the Steering Committee for the Puerto Rico Energy Resilience Working Group convened by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to prepare a report on rebuilding and transforming the islands power system, which was devastated by Hurricanes Irma and Maria in September.

Hamm has released the following statement on the formation of the PREPA TAC and the release of the Working Groups "Building Back Better" report.

"The destruction of Puerto Ricos power system is clearly one of 2017s defining events for the U.S. electric power industry -- a challenge we must answer. Similarly, the efforts now being undertaken by PREPA and its TAC, the Working Group, and other key stakeholders will be a defining driver for innovation in system design and resilience in 2018. The breadth of expertise and commitment on the TAC is an enormous resource in and of itself.

"My recent visit to Puerto Rico -- talking with people who deeply understand the unique circumstances on the island -- underlined the need for a broad, ambitious but pragmatic vision for rebuilding the islands power system. I saw so many possibilities for the use of distributed energy resources -- including microgrids -- to provide solutions to both short-term restoration and long-term system resilience."