Earlier today, Secretary Granholm joined LUMA’s Clean Energy Workforce Day event to celebrate the next generation of energy leaders for Puerto Rico
San Juan, Puerto Rico, July 31, 2023 – Today, LUMA CEO Juan Saca joined energy sector stakeholders for a fireside chat event hosted by U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm to discuss Puerto Rico’s energy transformation and the historic progress LUMA continues to make every day to modernize the electric system, including the advancement in clean, renewable energy made possible by partnerships with federal and local partners.
“We are incredibly thankful for Secretary Granholm’s steadfast support and commitment to the people of Puerto Rico,” said Juan Saca, President and Chief Executive Officer of LUMA. “Working together with the DOE, FEMA, and all our federal and local partners, we are making significant progress to advance renewable energy and build the more reliable and more resilient energy system our customers and their families expect and deserve.”
Since June 1, 2021, LUMA has connected more than 63,000 customers with solar panels, representing more than 390 megawatts of clean energy added to the electric grid. More than 3,500 customers are connected to solar each month, a rate that has never been seen before in Puerto Rico. As a result of this progress, Puerto Rico ranks seventh among all U.S. states and territories in residential solar energy adoption per capita, according to net metering data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).
Advancing Large Scale Clean Energy Technology
LUMA fully supports Puerto Rico’s clean energy policy and is actively working with the U.S. Department of Energy, as well as local partners, to help to implement renewable energy projects across the island. In addition to the company’s contribution to residential solar expansion, the following larger-scale efforts are underway:
- Planning microgrid projects in Vieques and Culebra, as well as in Centro Medico in San Juan, to support integration of renewable generation.
- Rebuilding key distribution feeders to make it possible to integrate additional clean energy technologies.
- Partnering with the Puerto Rico Department of Housing and the Department of Energy to deploy resilient grid pockets to increase the capacity to integrate clean energy.
- Facilitating large-scale renewable projects by planning and performing technical interconnection studies to ensure the reliability of the system now and in the future.
- Increasing renewable energy capacity by partnering with FEMA to secure funding to deploy six new critical substations and three major transmission lines.
Committed to Building the Next-Generation Energy Workforce.
The fireside chat followed LUMA’s Clean Energy Workforce Day event where 70 young professionals were recognized for their contributions to LUMA, representing the next generation of energy leaders for Puerto Rico. To date, more than 100 new graduates have been hired, 149 apprentices have been trained through lineworker and substation programs, and 236 employees have participated in upskilling programs through LUMA College.
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 4,000 employees is focused on safely delivering an exceptional customer service experience to its 1.5 million customers.
