LUMA ignores PREPA director’s investigation – Metro Puerto Rico

Director General of the Authority of Electricity (AEE), Joshua Columbus He failed to complete the task entrusted to him by Governor Pedro Pierluisi last month to investigate the causes of the June 12 blackout that left more than 300,000 electricity service customers without power, as LUMA Energy did not respond to his request for information.

This came to light yesterday after the legislature questioned Colon about his management.

“As of July 5, we have not received a response from LUMA Energy to the request for information, to which Genera PR responded on June 24. Once we receive a response from the private operator, LUMA Energy, we will be able to proceed with our assessment of the events of June 12,” Colon explained in a written statement.

After the blackout in mid-June, Pierluisi called the events and their handling “totally unacceptable”. The Governor delegated the investigation into the blackout to Colon. “If it is confirmed that either of the two entities (LUMA and Genera) was negligent, the government will not reimburse the costs incurred by either of the two entities to restore service to our people. “I have come this far,” he said at the time.

However, after the governor’s remarks, LUMA’s chief executive officer (CEO) Juan Saca said in the Jugando Pelota Dura that they would not receive instructions from Colón because their contract stipulates that the only regulatory entity is the Public Union Administration and the private sector, which in turn said they only oversee the contractual aspects of LUMA. “Puerto Rico is a country of laws and we have two regulatory agencies in the contract we signed: on one hand, the Energy Bureau, which is the regulatory entity, and on the other hand, P3A, which is the regulatory entity,” Saca said at the time. However, LUMA executives said they can listen to Colón and entities for ideas on how to improve the management of electricity services.

The executive director of PREPA explained yesterday that since June 14, the information request has been Public-Private Partnership Administration. “Genera PR responded to the request on June 24. Once we receive a response from the private operator, LUMA Energy, we will be able to proceed with the assessment of the events of June 12,” Colón explained.