By The Star Staff
New Progressive Party (NPP) Reps. Carlos “Johnny” Méndez Nuñez and Víctor Parés Otero asked LUMA Energy, the private operator of Puerto Rico’s electric power transmission and distribution system, to be agile in restoring the electrical system after Hurricane Ernesto struck the island as a tropical storm earlier this week.
The legislators also asked LUMA to activate the American Public Power Association (APPA) brigades to restore electrical service if necessary.
“The time has come for LUMA to show sensitivity to the people of Puerto Rico. This atmospheric event was a very strong one, particularly for the eastern part of the island,” said Méndez Nuñez, who represents several northeastern and eastern towns in House District 36. “However, more than 724,073 customers do not have electricity service and now, we still do not see a sense of urgency from this company. We call on LUMA to begin dispatching brigades to all areas that do not have electricity, framed in the safety of employees, so that service is restored as quickly as it is needed.”
Parés Otero, who represents San Juan District 4, joined his colleague’s request.
“It is time for LUMA to address the challenge sensitively and restore service as soon as possible,” he said. “I add that it is imperative that if LUMA does not have the personnel available for this work in a short time, then it must ask the executive director of the Electric Power Authority, my friend, Josué Colón, so that he, in his power by law, can ask APPA for the use of its brigades. There is no need to wait if the resources are there to restore service in hours.”
Parés noted that at the time of the time of the press release there were 42,000 electricity customers without service in San Juan.
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