Six companies secure spots for new power generation contract

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) will work with six companies on a $5 billion contract for power generation and stabilization in Puerto Rico. The companies– Amenthum, AshBritt, CDM Smith, OMP Solutions, PTSI Managed Services, and Weston Solutions– will compete for orders under a fixed-price contract through September 2028. USACE will handle planning, coordination, and installation of temporary power generating units in collaboration with PREPA and LUMA Energy. The power generation services provided by the contractors will include installation of new control systems, testing and commissioning power generation systems, among other tasks.

Arecibo Radio Telescope Observatory to become new STEM center 

The United States National Science Foundation (NSF) has announced a $5 million investment to create a new STEM education and research center at the Arecibo Observatory. Beginning in the 1970s, Arecibo was one of the most powerful single-dish radio telescopes in the world. In 2018, one year after Hurricane Maria significantly damaged the site, the University of Central Florida partnered with Universidad Metropolitana in San Juan and Yang Enterprises in Oviedo to manage the site and expand its capabilities. However, a number of environmental, structural, and funding issues led to the telescope being decommissioned in December 2020. This funding will be used to establish the Arecibo Center for Culturally Relevant and Inclusive Science Education, Computational Skills, and Community Engagement (Arecibo C3). The new center will serve as a catalyst for increased engagement in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Researchers using AI to preserve rainforests in Puerto Rico 

Google.org is partnering with researchers from the environmental nonprofit Rainforest Connection to monitor and conserve species in threatened rainforest ecosystems, beginning in Puerto Rico. The conservationists are using an open-source AI platform called Arbimon that uses acoustics to monitor biodiversity. It has collected nearly 8 million recordings from more than 900 sites to improve knowledge of the locations of at-risk species like the Mountain Coqui. The AI’s recorders are equipped with long-range capture technology to monitor forest sounds 24 hours per day.