Lawmakers back action aimed at canceling LUMA contract

Rep. José Pérez Cordero

By The Star Staff

Reps. Víctor Parés Otero, José “Che” Pérez Cordero, José “Cheito” Hernández Concepción and Ángel Peña Ramírez on Wednesday announced their support for the action taken the previous day by Energy Czar and Public-Private Partnerships Authority Executive Director Josué Colón Ortiz to issue an ultimatum to LUMA Energy LLC as part of the process aimed at canceling the contract for the operation of the electric power transmission and distribution network.

New Progressive Party legislators will hold a meeting to evaluate legislative actions that could be taken to support the principles of the letter the czar sent to LUMA Energy President Juan Saca.

“Governor Jenniffer González has once again put her word where her mouth was,” said Peña Ramírez, the deputy speaker of the island House of Representatives. “She said it from the first day of the 2024 campaign that LUMA was leaving, and yesterday, our friend Josué Colón put it in writing so no one can say otherwise about our public policy. We will be evaluating the letter today and will take concrete actions in support of it. This document marks a unique moment in our history as a government and has our endorsement.”

Pérez Cordero added that “LUMA has dramatically failed in its management of federal funds.”

“The company has received approximately $839 million in federal funds, but has reconciled only 17 percent of those funds,” he said. “LUMA incurred more than $950 million in expenses on federally funded projects, but only managed to recover $451 million. No business can be expected to do this, especially one [responsible for an undertaking] like the reconstruction of the electrical grid.”