Queremos Sol: Gov’t incompetence in addressing electrical system’s woes is the real cause for a ‘state of emergency’

By The Star Staff

The Queremos Sol coalition proposed Wednesday that the people of Puerto Rico should declare a “state of emergency” due to the incompetence of the current government, which it said insists, with Trump-style executive orders, on expanding the powers of LUMA Energy and Genera PR even though they are unable to provide reliable electricity service.

Leaders of Queremos Sol questioned Gov. Jenniffer González Colón’s recent executive order extending the state of energy emergency in Puerto Rico and exempting LUMA, the private operator of the electric power transmission and distribution system, legacy power plants operator Genera, and electric power suppliers AES and EcoEléctrica from permitting in order to facilitate the building of more fossil fuel power generation projects. Coalition leaders asserted that this will not solve the island’s energy problems.

“The people, not the governor, should declare a state of emergency due to the incompetence of those who govern us and the companies they hire, such as LUMA and Genera, which have demonstrated their inability to handle an essential service,” said Ingrid M. Vila Biaggi, president of the Cambio organization and spokesperson for Queremos Sol. “The failure of privatization and the inability of these companies to operate the electrical system while the people suffer blackouts and high bills for poor service are evident.”