FILE – Puerto Rico Electrical Energy Authority employees restore distribution traces broken by Hurricane Maria within the Cantera group of San Juan, Puerto Rico, Oct. 19, 2017. The personal operator of Puerto Rico’s energy grid confirmed Monday, June 24, 2024, the deferral of $65 million price of upkeep and enchancment tasks within the U.S. territory, with some repairs postponed for not less than a 12 months due to price range constraints. (AP Photograph/Carlos Giusti, File)
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The personal operator of Puerto Rico’s energy grid confirmed Monday the deferral of $65 million price of upkeep and enchancment tasks within the U.S. territory, with some repairs postponed for not less than a 12 months due to price range constraints, placing in danger the already troubled grid — and sparking a widespread outcry.
Among the deferred tasks embrace upkeep of greater than 100,000 gentle posts, fireplace mitigation and repairs on underground circuits, amongst different enhancements.
Luma Vitality’s head of regulatory affairs, Mario Hurtado, advised The Related Press on Monday that the suspended tasks, which he goals to deliver again subsequent 12 months, danger extra outages throughout the island.
“The chance is all the time that there shall be extra failures when it comes to public lighting,” Hurtado stated.
At a price range listening to on Friday, Hurtado stated Luma Vitality prioritized different duties primarily based on “skilled judgment,” which they think about calculated dangers. The shortage of fireplace mitigation places the grid in danger as hotter temperatures seize Puerto Rico, growing the probabilities of wildfires disrupting energy traces.
“We make judgments primarily based on what we have now obtainable and what our objectives are,” Hurtado stated Friday. “Though it entails a danger, it’s a suitable danger.”
Luma’s price range, proposed to Puerto Rico’s Vitality Bureau, contains $1.3 billion for the whole electrical sector, with 65% allotted to Luma, which is accountable for transmission and distribution, 32% to Genera PR, which operates and maintains the grid, and three% to the Puerto Rico Electrical Energy Authority.
The price range goals to inject funds into Luma’s customer support, personnel security and renewable power tasks.
Luma’s announcement to defer thousands and thousands of {dollars}’ price of tasks amid continual energy outages has angered many.
“It’s unacceptable that Luma Vitality can unilaterally determine to droop essential duties,” Jesús Manuel Ortiz, a member of the Home of Representatives who’s additionally operating for governor, stated in an announcement Monday. “It’s evident that Luma continues to fail in its obligations, and that nobody within the Authorities of Puerto Rico is accountable.”
The corporate confirmed a delay in funds disbursement from the Federal Emergency Administration Company on Friday. Luma has submitted about 400 tasks for approval to improve the power grid, and about 100 have been accepted, Hurtado stated.
The price range listening to comes because the island of three.2 million folks contends with frequent energy outages greater than six years after Hurricane Maria ravaged Puerto Rico as a Class 4 storm. The mixture of storms, earthquakes and underinvestment has hindered restoration efforts.
A massive blackout in mid-June left over 340,000 prospects within the capital, San Juan, and close by cities with out energy throughout a warmth wave. Previous to the blackout, cities in central and southern Puerto Rico have been left with out energy for about 5 days after a transformer collapsed early June. The corporate restored the service on June 9, with some residents nonetheless experiencing sporadic outages final week.
Over the weekend, Luma shipped a transformer through boat from San Juan to the southern coastal metropolis of Ponce after which transported it to the close by city of Santa Isabel.
Governor Pedro Pierluisi activated the Nationwide Guard to assist with the power disaster and ordered an investigation into the June 13 blackout. The Vitality Bureau can be investigating and has directed Luma and Genera PR to submit a plan to stabilize the island’s electrical community.
Observe AP’s protection of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
