LUMA requests 90 days from gov’t to find solutions to power grid crisis

By THE STAR STAFF

LUMA Energy, the private operator of Puerto Rico’s power grid, has requested a 90-day period from the central government to work on identifying solutions to the operational challenges and lack of funding facing the island’s electrical system, it was reported Wednesday.

In a letter addressed to Francisco Domenech, Gov. Jenniffer González Colón’s chief of staff, LUMA President Juan Saca reported that the company has repealed the after-hours emergency response criteria it had established on Oct. 7 and will reinstate the previous standards for activating brigades on night shifts.

“We have made this decision with the hope and expectation that, in the next 90 days, we can collaborate in a comprehensive effort to identify tangible solutions to the many challenges currently facing Puerto Rico’s energy system, including the chronic lack of funding,” Saca said in the letter.

The document, sent to La Fortaleza and the Public-Private Partnerships Authority, followed the governor’s comments regarding LUMA’s decision to suspend nighttime repair work, a measure that drew criticism from the government and mayors given the risks it posed to customers.