By The Star Staff
The Popular Democratic Party (PDP) delegation in the Senate on Monday denounced the fact that LUMA Energy, the private consortium that operates the island’s electric power transmission and distribution system, has spent $12.9 million on clearing vegetation away from power lines but has only managed to cover 72 miles, despite the fact that the project contemplated 684 miles in its initial phase.
Sen. Luis Javier Hernández Ortiz, the PDP minority leader in the upper chamber, revealed the data after receiving a response to a request for information sent on Jan. 27.
“LUMA finally admits its failure in managing vegetation and clearing power lines in Puerto Rico,” Hernández Ortiz said in a written statement. “On September 12, 2023, they announced that they would clear 16,000 miles of lines. However, a year and four months later, they have only cleared 72 miles in San Juan.” For Sen. José Luis Dalmau Santiago noted that the only project approved so far by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) benefits the so-called ‘Group A’ zone, which includes the municipalities of San Juan, Guaynabo, Trujillo Alto, Carolina, Canóvanas and Río Grande.
“The rest of the country has been ignored,” he said. “In addition, the cost of this project already amounts to $12.9 million, with a cap of $18 million, which is equivalent to $179,166 per cleared mile. It is outrageous.”
Sen. Marially González Huertas pointed out that LUMA presented an initial plan in April 2023 with an estimated cost of $1.2 billion; however, so far it has only secured the obligation of $18 million in funds for one of the 36 projects presented.
“We want to know the status of the other 35 projects and why they have not been approved,” she said.
Meanwhile, Sen. José Santiago Rivera stressed that the situation is unacceptable and that he will insist that municipalities be able to participate in the process of cleaning and maintaining power lines.
“Municipalities have the personnel and resources to help with these tasks and avoid excessive costs such as those we are seeing with LUMA,” he said.
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