Puerto Rico power company suspends $65M worth of maintenance projects, sparking outcry amid outages

By CORAL MURPHY MARCOS
Associated Press

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The private operator of Puerto Rico’s power grid has confirmed the deferral of $65 million worth of maintenance and improvement projects in the U.S. territory. Some repairs have been postponed for at least a year because of budget constraints. The move puts at risk the already troubled grid and has sparked widespread outcry. Some of the deferred projects include maintenance of more than 100,000 light posts, fire mitigation and repairs on underground circuits, among other improvements. Luma Energy’s head of regulatory affairs, Mario Hurtado, told The Associated Press on Monday that the suspended projects, which he aims to bring back next year, risk more outages.