Rep. Víctor Parés Otero By THE STAR STAFF Rep. Víctor Parés Otero, who chairs the Government Committee in the Puerto Rico House of Representatives, announced Sunday that he will be summoning Janisse Quiñones, the new president and CEO of LUMA Energy, the private operator of the island’s electric power transmission and distribution network, to a public hearing scheduled for early April. “The public policy of the Puerto Rican government is to remove the private operator LUMA as

Instead of the construction of a costly liquefied natural gas import facility, the conversion at Palo Seco Power Plant will now rely on a federally funded natural gas pipeline led by the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, according to a resolution issued by the Puerto Rico Energy Bureau. By THE STAR STAFF In a major shift for Puerto Rico’s energy infrastructure strategy, the Puerto Rico Energy Bureau (PREB) has approved power plants operator Gener

The International Working Women’s Day March was held on Sunday, from the Plaza del Quinto Centenario to the Plaza de la Barandilla in Old San Juan. Marchers sent a resounding message that “Our Bodies Are Not Territories of War.” By THE STAR STAFF The International Working Women’s Day March, from the Plaza del Quinto Centenario to the Plaza de la Barandilla in Old San Juan, was held on Sunday by organizations of the March 8 Coalition (C8M), under the slogan “Our Bodies Are Not

U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith Dein  By THE STAR STAFF The long‑running bankruptcy proceedings of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) advanced this week as the Financial Oversight and Management Board and several renewable-energy companies submitted sharply divergent proposals for a discovery schedule that will govern the litigation of nearly $1 billion in disputed lost‑profits claims. The competing proposals, filed as part of a joint status report ordered by U.S.

Dr. Elba Caraballo Rivera, deputy director of the Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Puerto Rico ( cccupr.org ) By THE STAR STAFF The University of Puerto Rico (UPR) Comprehensive Cancer Center has renewed its call for early colorectal cancer screening amid data showing an alarming rise in diagnoses among younger adults on the island. According to the latest report from the Puerto Rico Central Cancer Registry, colorectal cancer accounted for 11.1% of all cancer

Scott Hempling, the hearing examiner for the Puerto Rico Energy Bureau in its basic utility rates review process (LinkedIn) By THE STAR STAFF A hearing examiner for the Puerto Rico Energy Bureau (PREB) ordered LUMA Energy on Thursday to correct or confirm key financial filings after consultants identified inconsistencies in the company’s proposed annual revenue requirement -- an essential element of the PREB’s ongoing effort to revise basic utility rates on the island. The PR

By THE STAR STAFF The professional experience of LUMA Energy’s new CEO, Janisse Quiñones, has not been untouched by controversy. Quiñones, born and raised in Caguas and a mechanical engineering graduate from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, has worked for several energy and water companies that have been in the public eye for various reasons. The recent controversies revolve around her role as executive director and lead engineer for the Los Angeles Department of Wa

By THE STAR STAFF Treasury Secretary Ángel Pantoja Rodríguez announced Thursday the disbursement of $133,031,527 in a new round of refunds corresponding to 58,783 tax returns, bringing the total amount paid out in the current tax cycle to over $1.1 billion. “With the new payroll approved, $1,100,318,009 has been disbursed to approximately 491,378 taxpayers,” Pantoja Rodríguez in a written statement. “This is a record number, but we remain focused on continuing the excellent w