Energy audit begins for 32 Rota homes under solar program

07/15/2025 - Thirty-two homes on Rota are currently undergoing a month-long energy audit conducted by energy assessor Darren Morgan from Portland, Oregon. The audits are part of a larger initiative that will provide each participating household with a free residential solar photovoltaic system.

The initiative is funded through the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Office of Insular Affairs under the Energizing Insular Communities Program. It falls under the Commonwealth Assistance for Renewable Energy, or CARES Program, which officially launched in March.

CNMI Office of Grants Management and State Clearinghouse Administrator Epi Cabrera emphasized the importance of the audit process in meeting federal requirements.

“Without these audits, we can not provide the free solar for 32 homes on Rota,” Cabrera told Marianas Press. “The governor has made this a pilot project and we are trying to do the audits first before we install in August [or] September…”

Cabrera explained that the homeowners were selected randomly through a public drawing. “The mayor’s office, through the governor, picked the names out of a box, a hat, and those are the names that will be given the solar,” he said.

In response to a request for comment, Rota Mayor Aubry Hocog welcomed the start of the assessments.

“I am so excited for the Energy Auditor to officially be here and start his assessment. This has been a project we have been working with OGM with the support of Governor Palacios. There are about 32 homes that will be assessed. Our office will be seeking additional grant funding to expand this program. This will provide utility relief to these families. This is the first phase of this project. I know there will be other funding sources through loans, but we will also be working aggressively to submit grant applications to provide additional support. This will directly benefit our people who are homeowners.”

The pilot project aims to reduce energy costs for local families and pave the way for broader renewable energy initiatives across the CNMI.

Report by Thomas Manglona II