By The Star Staff The Puerto Rico Energy Bureau (PREB) has sharply criticized grid operator LUMA Energy and the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) for failing to advance renewable energy and storage projects, warning that continued delays threaten grid reliability and the ability to secure federal funding. The PREB ordered PREPA in a resolution this week to submit a detailed update by Jan. 15, 2026 on all of its efforts to move projects forward. The filing must incl

Puerto Rico Supreme Court Chief Justice Maite Oronoz Rodríguez By The Star Staff Two members of Puerto Rico’s Supreme Court have criticized the way the majority of the tribunal carried out recent changes to the Commission on Reputation for the Practice of Law, arguing that the process departed from long-standing traditions of transparency and collegial deliberation. Chief Justice Maite Oronoz Rodríguez, joined by Associate Justice Ángel Colón Pérez, issued a dissenting opinio

By The Star Staff Víctor Alvarado Guzmán, the spokesperson for the Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP) in the southern coastal town of Salinas, raised alarms earlier this week over what he described as the municipality’s state of abandonment, citing a growing convergence of social, environmental and public safety crises. Alvarado asserted that the issues underscore a lack of planning and decisive action by Mayor Karilyn Bonilla Colón. One of the most pressing concerns for S

By THE STAR STAFF The Puerto Rico Energy Bureau (PREB) approved several renewable energy and energy storage projects on Tuesday as part of an accelerated process authorized to secure federal investment tax credits. According to the Resolution and Order (R&O) issued by the regulatory body, the approved projects would add some 659 megawatts (MW) of battery energy storage systems and 25 MW of photovoltaic solar generation to Puerto Rico’s electrical system. The decision was issu

Traffic Safety Commission Executive Director José “Memo” González Mercado By THE STAR STAFF Traffic Safety Commission Executive Director José “Memo” González Mercado reacted on Tuesday to statements made a day earlier by Judge Wanda Cruz Ayala during the resentencing hearing in the case of Mayra Enid Nevárez Torres, who was convicted of causing the death of Justin Santos Delanda in a violent two-car crash on the Teodoro Moscoso Bridge in 2021. “Using the bench to attack the g

Sabana Grande Mayor Marcos Valentín Flores By THE STAR STAFF Sabana Grande Mayor Marcos Valentín Flores on Tuesday urged all citizens to celebrate New Year’s Eve responsibly, avoiding the use of firearms and fireworks, thinking about the safety of all families in Sabana Grande. “We want to carry a clear and forceful message: there is no justification for shooting into the air,” the mayor said. “Every time someone fires a gun during the holidays, they put the lives of innocent

By THE STAR STAFF The Puerto Rico Energy Bureau (PREB) has postponed a decision on whether to approve a fixed-charge pension rider for electricity customers, opting instead to address the issue as part of its upcoming permanent rate order for the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA). In a resolution issued earlier this week, the PREB acknowledged LUMA Energy’s request submitted Dec. 9 to amend its Model Bill to replace the current per-kilowatt-hour (kWh) pension charg

Wilma Maldonado Arrigoitía, editorial director at the Center for Investigative Journalism (Instagram via uprarecibo_oficial) By THE STAR STAFF The Center for Investigative Journalism (CPI by its initials in Spanish) has sued Gov. Jenniffer González Colón and her press secretary, Marieli Padró, alleging violations of press freedom after journalists from the organization were barred from covering press conferences at La Fortaleza for not presenting a credential issued by the De