The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority Effectively Managed FEMA Public Assistance Grant Funds Awarded for Hurricane Irene in August 2011

The Authority received an $8.04 million Public Assistance grant award from the Puerto Rico Emergency Management Agency (Puerto Rico), a FEMA grantee, for damages resulting from Hurricane Irene in August 2011. Our audit objective was to determine whether the Authority accounted for and expended FEMA funds according to Federal requirements. The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, Puerto Rico, (Authority) generally accounted for and expended Public Assistance grant funds according to Federal regulations and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) guidelines. However, the Authority did not comply with the Single Audit Act, which requires non-Federal entities that expend $500,000 or more in a year in Federal awards to obtain a single or program-specific audit for that year. Although the Authority did not take steps to ensure that it met the Single Audit Act requirements, Puerto Rico, as grantee, is responsible for ensuring that its subgrantee (the Authority) is aware of and complies with grant requirements. As a result of this deficiency, FEMA and Puerto Rico did not have an opportunity to review the Single Audit report that would have made them aware of any potential issues with the Authority’s administration of the FEMA grant.