PREB orders feasibility study on towns assisting with streetlight repairs
- The San Juan Daily Star
- 14 hours ago
- 2 min read
By THE STAR STAFF
The Puerto Rico Energy Bureau (PREB) has commissioned a legal study to evaluate the feasibility of municipalities assisting in the process of repairing and replacing electric streetlights.
The information was confirmed by PREB Chairman Edison Avilés Deliz in a letter sent to the promoters of the initiative, Speaker of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives Carlos “Johnny” Méndez Nuñez, along with House Government Committee Chairman Víctor Parés Otero.
According to the letter, sent on Dec. 31, the PREB gave “instructions to one of our consultants to carry out the required legal study first and, if necessary, the corresponding technical study.”
“We understand that municipalities can, with the allocated economic resources, support efforts to keep their streets illuminated at night,” the House speaker said. “We thank the Energy Bureau for accepting our request to create a feasibility study. This is an initiative that can produce tangible and faster results for the benefit of our people.”
On Dec. 21, the legislators wrote to the PREB requesting a study on the feasibility of municipalities being part of the repair of electric streetlights in their jurisdictions.
Parés urged a new approach to the issue.
“The municipalities know where these lights and poles are located, so it is easier for them to outline and implement a repair and, above all, maintenance program for these lights,” the San Juan District 4 lawmaker said.
According to data from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the inventory of light poles in Puerto Rico is 519,015. Of those, 70% (363,311) were damaged by hurricanes Irma and Maria in September 2017.
In June 2020, the island government, through the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, entered into a service contract with private grid operator LUMA Energy. The agreement also stipulated that the company would be managing the federal funds allocated for the replacement of streetlights.
Currently, LUMA has $3,866,875 allocated for streetlight repairs in its 2025-2026 operating budget, which began on July 1. It also has an additional $416,875 allocated for servicing octagonal light poles. For the following year (2026-2027), the budget for streetlight maintenance and replacement will increase to $11,931,250.