Guánica Streetlight Project is Part of the First Phase of LUMA’s One-Billion-Dollar “Community Streetlight Initiative” to Transform Puerto Rico’s Energy Grid
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, August 19, 2022 – Today,LUMA announced it has repaired and restored its 10,000th streetlight as part of its historic one-billion-dollar Community Streetlight Initiative (CSI). The historic announcement was made as part of the kickoff of the streetlight work in the municipality of Guánica where crews began the important work of modernizing over 3,579 streetlights with an initial investment of over $12.2 million.
In Guánica, Mayor Ismael Rodríguez was joined by LUMA Senior Vice President of Engineering, Asset Management and Capital Programs Dr. Shay Bahramirad and LUMA Vice President of Capital Programs Juan Rodriguez,to announce the start of this critical reconstruction project. Today’s announcement comes after the initial start of construction of the first phase of CSI in the municipalities of Aguada, Maunabo, Luquillo and Lajas.
“Today in Guánica, we’re excited to continue making progress on this journey toward a brighter future with LUMA’s Community Streetlight Initiative – the historic billion-dollar investment in the repairing and replacing of thousands of streetlights across Puerto Rico. Communities like Guánica, in the southern part of Puerto Rico, have long faced reconstruction challenges following Hurricanes Irma and Maria and the disastrous earthquakes of 2020. That’s why we are proud to be joined by Guánica Mayor Ismael Rodríguez to celebrate the start of this ambitious program to bring the municipality’s public streetlight system up to 21st-century standards,” said Dr. Shay Bahramirad, Senior Vice President of Engineering, Asset Management and Capital Programs of LUMA.
The Guánica streetlight work being undertaken by LUMA includes critical funding from FEMA’s 406 Hazard Mitigation Program which will help harden this infrastructure to mitigate future impacts of severe weather. As part of the 406 Hazard Mitigation Program, streetlight arms, breakaway bases, concrete bases and poles will be strengthened to withstand hurricane-strength winds of up to 160 mph.
“We’re proud to announce that we are currently replacing and repairing over 300 streetlights every week and by the end of day today, we will have successfully installed 10,000 new streetlights,” said Juan Rodriguez, Vice President of Capital Programs. “As we all know, this program is not only a vital infrastructure project but also marks progress toward public safety in our communities. Each streetlight we replace provides a brighter path forward.”
Community Streetlight Initiative Project Details
- Nearly $30 million in federal funding is approved for the initial phase of CSI and are part of approximately $100 million in total funding for streetlight projects that began construction in 2022.
- The streetlight projects include the replacement of streetlight arms, photocells, luminaires, poles and other components.
- The Aguada CSI Project repairs and replaces 6,655 streetlights
- The Maunabo CSI Project repairs and replaces 2,900 streetlights
- The Lajas CSI Project repairs and replaces 4,301 streetlights
- The Luquillo CSI Project repairs and replaces 2,301 streetlights
- The Guánica CSI Project repairs and replaces 3,579 streetlights
Future FEMA Projects in Progress
To date, LUMA has initiated 209 projects with FEMA representing billions of dollars of new electric infrastructure investments. Additional FEMA funding approvals for other critical infrastructure projects are expected to be announced over the coming weeks and months. As part of its commitment to transparency, LUMA looks forward to communicating these additional FEMA-funded projects, once they are approved, and working with FEMA, the Puerto Rico Energy Bureau (PREB), and other agencies whose oversight and cooperation is vital.
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 grid they deserve. As a customer-centric company, LUMA’s entire workforce of more than 3,000 employees is focused on safely delivering an exceptional customer service experience to its 1.5 million customers.
