LUMA says it is not seeking an energy rate hike
By THE STAR STAFF
LUMA Energy President & CEO Janisse Quiñones stated Tuesday afternoon that the information submitted to the Puerto Rico Energy Bureau (PREB) regarding some $48 million in additional fuel costs does not constitute a request for an increase in electricity rates, but rather a notification required by the company’s contractual and regulatory obligations.
“Our contract and regulatory provisions establish the obligation to notify the PREB when fuel costs used by generating companies exceed budgeted amounts by more than $20 million,” Quiñones said in a written statement.
The LUMA president said the generating companies incurred approximately $48 million in additional costs due to limited generation availability, market prices, and the controversy surrounding natural gas deliveries.
Quiñones indicated that currently only 47% of the generation fleet is available. The San Juan 5, San Juan 7, San Juan 9, and Costa Sur 5 units are out of service, while the combined cycle plants at San Juan, Palo Seco 3 and 4, Costa Sur, and Aguirre 2 are operating below capacity.
“LUMA does not generate electricity, does not purchase fuel to produce it, and receives no economic benefit from these additional costs,” she stated. “Our responsibility is to inform the Energy Bureau, which is the entity in charge of evaluating the information and determining whether any tariff adjustment is warranted.”
Quiñones maintained that the impact of electricity costs on families and businesses requires addressing the causes particularly associated with generation and fuel.
“LUMA will continue to fulfill its contractual and regulatory responsibilities, while working to improve the reliability of the transmission and distribution system,” she added.
During the SESA Summit 2026, Gov. Jenniffer González Colón described the possibility of another increase in electricity bills as “outrageous” and again questioned LUMA’s performance as the operator of the island’s electric power transmission and distribution system.
“It’s just increase, increase, increase, and yet they’re not doing the work,” González Colón told reporters.
The governor also stated that her administration is evaluating alternatives to reduce the impact of energy costs on families and businesses, although she declined to announce any specific measures until a concrete proposal is in place.
