By The Star Staff
As the island’s lack of power generation continues to be a problem, LUMA Energy confirmed Thursday that 1.4 million customers have had their power restored following an islandwide blackout that began at 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday, New Year’s Eve.
The islandwide blackout highlights the lack of power generation in Puerto Rico, where private investors appear to be uninterested in building power generation plants.
Puerto Rico in December selected a single bidder for a tender launched in October which sought to procure 500 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy and 250 MW of battery storage. The STAR learned that only one single bidder ended up participating in the tender. The winning project was a 50 MW battery storage system, according to a document submitted to the Puerto Rico Energy Bureau.
Meanwhile, LUMA has expressed a commitment to maintaining transparency throughout the power restoration process, while on Thursday the private operator of the island’s electricity transmission and distribution system acknowledged a projected generation deficit starting at noon. Due to the fragility of the power grid, the available generation would need to be adapted to meet customer demand, LUMA said, adding that the adaptation could necessitate the implementation of rotating temporary outages.
“Customers are urged to conserve energy whenever possible and utilize battery power, if available, in order to minimize the impact of the generation deficit on the system,” the operator said.
LUMA said it is closely coordinating with personnel at the island’s power generation stations to ensure a continuous supply of energy to customers as additional capacity becomes available. The grid operator added that it will continue to maintain open lines of communication with local mayors to keep them informed about the progress of the restoration process until it is fully completed.
“Although the cause of the [blackout] event is still under investigation, LUMA has already implemented its restoration plan, allowing for the stabilization of the transmission and distribution system so that it can accommodate the available generation,” LUMA said.
“LUMA recognizes the significant inconvenience caused by the outage, particularly during the holiday season, and sincerely apologizes for any effects this event may have had on its customers and their families,” the operator said. “The company has been providing updates on the situation through various channels, including its website, social media accounts, and media outlets.”
In light of recent events, electricity customers are encouraged to exercise caution and safety when using generators, ensuring they are placed in well-ventilated areas to avoid accidents or injuries, the operator added. Any electrical emergencies should be reported to LUMA at 1-844-888-5862.
PDP legislative delegations vow prompt filing of measures to cancel LUMA contract
The Popular Democratic Party (PDP) delegations in the island House and Senate announced Thursday that after being sworn in as representatives and senators, they would be filing several measures to cancel the LUMA Energy contract.
The move was indicated by PDP minority leaders Héctor Ferrer Santiago in the House of Representatives and Luis Javier Hernández Ortiz in the Senate, along with alternate minority leaders Domingo Torres García and Marially González Huertas in the lower and upper chambers, respectively.
“Puerto Rico is going through an unprecedented energy crisis, which has worsened in recent days, significantly affecting the quality of life of all Puerto Ricans,” Ferrer Santiago said. “For this reason, we are taking immediate action, fulfilling our ministerial duty, in order to remove LUMA Energy once and for all, and reduce the cost of electricity through an efficient and depoliticized dispatch system.”
The PDP minority leader in the House added that through the measures they will also seek to establish objective metrics for a future operator.
“LUMA Energy has shown poor management in the use of public resources destined for the maintenance and improvement of the electrical system,” Hernández Ortiz said. “Despite the promise of significant savings, the reality has been the opposite, with million-dollar budget overdrafts and the inappropriate use of public funds. The company has exceeded the budgets approved by the Puerto Rico Energy Bureau on multiple occasions, without adequately explaining the reasons for these overdrafts.”
The current electricity access and maintenance situation in Puerto Rico is a disgrace. The people deserve far better. At a minimum, the power gird should be upgraded to the latest industry standards within five years. All governmental efforts should be focused on that goal.