The installation is part of conservation efforts and improvements to the electric system in the southern region.
Ponce, PR – March 13, 2026 – LUMA will install wildlife protectors this coming Wednesday at the Guayanilla substation, located in town. These devices have helped reduce events caused by animal contact by approximately 40% between 2024 and 2025. The installation of this equipment is part of the company’s Preventive and Corrective Maintenance plan at substations to improve service reliability while the electric system reconstruction is underway.
This Wednesday, March 18, protectors will be installed on various pieces of equipment within the substation, including the transformer, distribution breakers, and insulators at the downtown Guayanilla substation. In addition to installing this equipment, maintenance will be performed on the transformer, which dates back to 1997. On this occasion, substation crews will conduct tests on the transformer to identify potential failures and assess its current condition, as budget limitations have resulted in it going through three times its recommended maintenance cycle—approximately 15 years without receiving the service required by industry standards.
According to the most recent data, approximately 8% of system events are related to wildlife. “The presence of wildlife in substations is a reality in Puerto Rico due to the tropical climate and the ecosystems surrounding many of these facilities. To date, we have installed wildlife protectors in over 100 substations to protect the infrastructure, reduce outages, and minimize risks for animals,” said Eng. Hendzon Martínez, Director of Substations, who has over 23 years of experience in the electric grid.
Additionally, LUMA crews will install a pole resistant to winds up to 160 mph that will allow transmission line 13100 to be placed into service. This line will provide the company Messer Gas with a dedicated line for its operations, contributing greater redundancy to the area’s system and supporting the island’s economic development. The line can also serve as a primary source of energization and as backup for transmission line 700, which runs from the Costa Sur thermoelectric plant to the Yauco 5303 hydroelectric plant, serving as an interconnection point between both plants. This project is part of a group of strategic projects funded by the Department of Energy for the recovery and modernization of the electric system.
“These improvements continue to reinforce our commitment to service reliability and wildlife protection, while we modernize the electrical infrastructure for the benefit of our communities. These efforts were carried out in close coordination with the municipal administration to ensure safe and efficient execution,” said Miguel Pagán, substation maintenance supervisor for LUMA’s western region.
Due to system limitations and safety reasons, some customers may experience service interruptions between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., approximately. To learn more about the communities that may experience service interruptions while the improvement work is underway, visit: lumapr.com/mejorasplanificadas/
About LUMA
LUMA is a Puerto Rican company that, since June 1, 2021, operates and manages the electric power transmission and distribution system in Puerto Rico. LUMA is a company driven by a mission to transform the electrical transmission and distribution system to provide all Puerto Ricans with the reliable, resilient, cleaner, and affordable electrical service they deserve. As a customer-centric company, LUMA’s entire workforce of over 4,000 employees is focused on safely delivering an exceptional customer service experience to its nearly 1.5 million customers.
