Guam steps up plea for feds to bankroll civilian infrastructure upgrades
Federal agency teams up with local utility agencies to strengthen power, water and telecom infrastructure
By Bryan Manabat
Guam’s bid to secure federal support for community infrastructure entered a new phase this week, as an island delegation met with U.S. officials in San Francisco to discuss the impact of the military buildup on civilian life.
The meetings—initially scheduled for April but reset due to Super Typhoon Sinlaku—mark the most significant step yet toward convening an Economic Adjustment Committee, a presidential‑level interagency body designed to coordinate federal assistance for communities affected by major Department of Defense program changes.
Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero, who is leading the delegation, said the process is essential for aligning Guam’s strategic role with the realities facing its civilian infrastructure.
“This inter‑agency process is necessary to lay the groundwork for eventually convening an Economic Adjustment Committee,” she said.
The governor said the EAC mechanism, which was adopted in past Guam realignment efforts, could bring federal resources to address the island’s most urgent vulnerabilities: healthcare capacity, power generation and grid stability, water and wastewater systems, seaport and airport modernization and communications‑cyber security resilience.
The meetings build directly on a December 2025 letter from Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Robert E. Thompson, who recognized Guam’s unique role in the Indo‑Pacific defense posture and the need for coordinated federal action.
In that letter, Thompson acknowledged the pressure on Guam’s hospitals, utilities, ports, schools, housing, and first responders, noting that DoD intends to move forward with interagency coordination to support the potential convening of an EAC.
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“This letter acknowledges what we have been saying in every meeting in Washington and here at home — that national defense decisions in Guam carry very real costs for our people and our local government,” Leon Guerrero said at the time.
Lt. Gov. Josh Tenorio reinforced that message this week, emphasizing that Guam’s role in national defense must be matched with federal investment.
“Because of our unique and invaluable role in America’s Pacific force posture, the economic costs and benefits to Guam… can be affecting us through the next decade,” he said.
For years, Guam agencies have been preparing, and through the Community Defense Liaison Office, working groups have compiled data on power, water, wastewater, transportation, housing, health care, education, labor, emergency response, ports of entry and regulatory requirements.
The Guam delegation is expected to present these findings directly to federal counterparts this week, outlining the scale of stress on civilian infrastructure and the cost of sustaining Guam’s role as the westernmost U.S. territory and a critical node in the Indo‑Pacific defense architecture.
“We support a strong defense posture in the Indo‑Pacific and we are proud of Guam’s role,” Tenorio said. “But strengthening Guam’s defenses must go hand in hand with strengthening our civilian infrastructure and services.”
Leon Guerrero framed the effort as a matter of fairness and national partnership: “As we deepen our strategic role in the region, we will continue to insist on a fair partnership—one that protects our people, respects our capacity, and honors the sacrifices Guam makes in service to the nation.”
The San Francisco meetings are expected to set the stage for formal interagency coordination and to reconvene an EAC in the months ahead.
If convened, the EAC could become the most consequential federal engagement with Guam’s civilian infrastructure in more than a decade—one that determines whether the island can sustain both its strategic military mission and its residents' quality of life.
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Earlier this month, the Guam Power Authority met with Gerri Alston-Meggett, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency’s regional director, to discuss the cybersecurity and physical security of Guam’s critical infrastructure.
CISA, an agency under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, leads national efforts to manage and reduce risk to the nation’s cyber and physical infrastructure, prioritizing power, water, wastewater, communications, transportation, healthcare and chemical safety.
Officials noted that Guam’s strategic location and critical military infrastructure make the island a top national security priority for DHS and CISA.
“Guam Power Authority and Guam Water Authority set an example of the type of partnership that can strengthen the security and resilience of a community’s
critical infrastructure,” said Alston-Meggett, director for Region 9.
“By collocating their facilities, power and water representatives can work side-by-side across multiple departments, enhancing information sharing and collaboration to protect the critical services the residents of Guam rely on every day," she added.
GPA said CISA's regional office provides tactical advisors, specialized training and emergency preparedness to assist Guam with utilities in times of crisis through the federally and locally approved Island Wide Cybersecurity plan.
CISA also provides direct assistance with federal grant applications, technical risk assessments and specialized security tools designed to protect essential community lifelines.
“Our mission is to provide efficient, reliable, and secure power to Guam’s residents and partners. Protecting customer data and safeguarding against
any system attacks remain at the forefront of GPWA’s cybersecurity and
physical security readiness," said John M. Benavente, GPA general manager.
"The partnership with DHS CISA and the integration of advanced networking
solutions will strengthen our operational capabilities and allow us to stay ahead of evolving cyber threats," he added.
Brett Railey, GWA assistant general manager of engineering, said implementing proper cyber security practices is as important as regular maintenance of water and wastewater infrastructure.
"Support from this partnership combined with on-going capital improvement projects for system security will only enhance our ability to continuously defend against current and future threats," Railey said.
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