PREB certifies reallocation of streetlight repair funds to 35 towns.

Speaker of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives Carlos “Johnny” Méndez Nuñez

By THE STAR STAFF

Speaker of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives Carlos “Johnny” Méndez Nuñez, along with House Government Committee Chairman Víctor Parés Otero, announced Wednesday that the Puerto Rico Energy Bureau (PREB) issued a resolution last week reaffirming the reallocation of $527 million to 35 municipalities for the repair and replacement of streetlights, thus completing the allocation for all 78 municipalities on the island.

“We reiterate that lighting our streets and communities is a priority for this House of Representatives,” the House speaker said. “So much so that we presented the proposal for municipalities to take charge of the repair and replacement of streetlights given the delays in that process.”

The PREB embraced the initiative, developed the legal framework for it, and reallocated the necessary resources, Méndez added.

“We endorse the decision of March 12 to reiterate this position in favor of the communities,” he said. 

“As we stated a few weeks ago, we reject any attempt by private energy operators to reallocate those $527 million for any project other than the repair and replacement of streetlights,” Parés said. “We [...]  hope that the process of lighting up the streets of Puerto Rico will soon become a reality for the municipalities.”

In the Resolution, the PREB established the events associated with the original case, NEPR-MI-2021-0002, regarding streetlight repair projects.