Church officials demand end of LUMA contract

By John McPhaul

jpmchaul@gmail.com

The members of the Ecumenical and Interreligious Coalition demanded on Thursday -- in a written statement -- the cancellation of the LUMA Energy contract.

“Given the disconcerting and ineffective performance of LUMA Energy, as a foreign company contracted to manage Puerto Rico’s electric energy transmission and distribution system, we call on Gov. Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia to cancel this contract. At the same time, we urge you to explore other alternatives to solve the thorny and tragic problem of the constant interruptions of the electricity service,” signed the members of the coalition, composed of leaders of various Christian denominations.

“From the point of view of faith, we believe that crises are always great opportunities. The best way to solve the problems we face as a country has to come from within our own people, from our own efforts. There have been proposals to improve electric service in the past few years. It is not a question of going back and continuing to offer an inefficient service , absent an adequate maintenance. On the contrary, it is to build an “Energy Company ‘’ for the 21st century, that its main priority is the social aspect of the service. As people of faith, and based on our historical experience of bringing this essential service to the most remote place on the island, we resist believing that in Puerto Rico there is no competent personnel capable of administering, with efficiency and integrity, our main public corporation (PREPA),” adds the letter.

“Without fear of being mistaken, we affirm that Puerto Rico has the personnel prepared to overcome this historic crossroads in which the electricity industry finds itself. We believe that there are the optimal conditions to unite wills, between different social sectors (academics, workers and cooperative entrepreneurs, among others), that responsibly manage, outside of political partisanship, our electricity industry. It requires men and women, with commitment and determination, to step forward, to create and organize a team with the highest qualifications, to manage the corporation, for ourselves (Puerto Ricans) and the good of the country, “ they concluded.