March 20 (Reuters) - Puerto Rico’s bankrupt power authority, PREPA, has appointed Walter Higgins as its new chief executive officer, the utility said on Tuesday, the six-month anniversary of Hurricane Maria’s destruction of the island’s power grid.

Higgins was CEO of Ascendant Group Ltd, a Bermuda-based energy and infrastructure holding company, from 2012 to 2016, and has 40 years of experience in energy industry management roles, PREPA said in a statement.

Hurricane Maria cut electricity to all of Puerto Rico’s 3.4 million American citizens when it struck in September. Former CEO Ricardo Ramos stepped down in November. (Reporting by Nick Brown)