By The Star Staff
Gov. Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia said Monday that if it is proven that there was negligence on the part of LUMA Energy in the process of transporting and installing a defective transformer at the Useras substation in Santa Isabel, the private consortium will not be paid the $4 million cost of the operation.
“Well, that is precisely one of the issues that must be the subject of the ongoing investigation,” the governor said in response to questions from the press. “In other words, if the ongoing investigation determines that there was negligence on the part of LUMA before making the decision to transport the transformer that ended up not working, if it is confirmed that there was negligence, then again, that cost will come from LUMA’s own funds. But I do not want to get ahead of myself, because that has to be investigated; they have to determine what tests were performed on that transformer before transporting it, what information LUMA had regarding the condition of the transformer before transporting it. And I repeat, if it is confirmed that there was negligence, then I hope that the [Puerto Rico Energy] Bureau takes action on this matter. And likewise the Public-Private Partnerships Authority.”
“It is incredible that this happened,” the governor continued. “The [Energy] Bureau and the Public-Private Partnerships Authority are already taking action on the matter. Now, the important thing is that LUMA provides that region with a high-capacity transformer that would be located at the substation in Santa Isabel. I know that the transformer that had been transported from Caguas failed, which is extremely regrettable. And they are investigating why this happened and whether it could have been avoided.”
Pierluisi also commented on the controversy between LUMA and Maunabo Mayor Ángel Omar Lafuente Amaro, who blocked LUMA employees’ access to a transformer that is situated in his town in order to relocate it for use in Santa Isabel.
“As for Maunabo, the important thing is that LUMA has to provide the adequate electricity service that the people expect in all of Puerto Rico. [... I]t has to [...] confirm to the mayor that the transformer that is there and that they want to transport to Santa Isabel is not currently being used in Maunabo and that it can be removed from there without affecting the service of the people of Maunabo. That is what LUMA is responsible for doing with the mayor,” the governor said. “I am sure that what the mayor is doing is expressing a concern that the service in his town will be affected […] But LUMA has to step in and make the necessary representations to the mayor so that there is no controversy.”
LUMA Energy announced late last week that the transformer they moved at a cost of $4 million from Caguas to Santa Isabel to serve the towns of Aibonito, Santa Isabel and Coamo had problems during the installation process and, as a result, they would have to use another piece of equipment located in the Talante neighborhood of Maunabo to complete the work. The Maunabo mayor opposes the move.
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