LUMA crews completed work benefiting communities in Gurabo, Juncos, and Humacao.
Gurabo, Puerto Rico – December 3, 2025 – Approximately 5,500 customers in areas such as Jaguar, Celada, Gurabo Abajo, La María, Mamey, Rincón, and surrounding sectors are now benefiting from a series of upgrades completed last Tuesday at the Gurabo town substation. These efforts are part of the Preventive and Corrective Maintenance Plan for substations, aimed at strengthening the reliability of the electric service in the region.
During the work, substation personnel replaced a switch that had been in use for over 30 years—well beyond its recommended service life—which connects the transmission line to the power transformer.
“Using a thermographic camera at the substation, we identified critical points that required urgent attention as part of our preventive rounds. Addressing these issues in time reduces the likelihood of major outages and benefits our customers in the area. These findings, along with the obsolescence of some components, made their replacement necessary for the safe and reliable operation of the system,” explained José M. Hernández Carrion, Eastern Region Substation Supervisor, who has over 22 years of experience in the electrical system.
Additionally, the control and protection cabling—unchanged for 40 years—was replaced. This cabling ensures that systems respond appropriately to protect customer service in the event of a fault. With this update, protection equipment will operate more precisely, preventing distribution faults from affecting the transformer or transmission line, thereby minimizing service interruptions.
This work was carried out in coordination with the Municipality of Gurabo.
Additional Improvements in the Region
Other crews are working on the transmission system, addressing a line that feeds the Gurabo substation. Ceramic insulators are being replaced with polymer units, which are lighter and offer greater insulation capacity. This change reduces the likelihood of outages and strengthens the system’s reliability in the area.
A significant milestone for the region was also highlighted: the recent installation of a 115 kV to 38 kV transformer at the Caguas TC substation, an upgrade that benefits approximately 70,000 customers in Caguas, Cayey, and Juncos.
In the coming weeks, additional work will be carried out at the Juncos and Humacao substations.
Regarding the reconstruction of transmission line 12600—which has been out of service since Hurricane Maria and runs from Naguabo TC to Verde Mar in Humacao—the engineer confirmed that work is progressing. Once completed, this line will enhance system reliability for over 25,000 customers in Naguabo, Humacao, Vieques, and Culebra.
These efforts reflect LUMA’s commitment to maintaining and strengthening the electrical infrastructure, prioritizing operational safety and service reliability for communities. That’s why it’s essential that funding is available for the maintenance of the transmission and distribution system.
About LUMA
LUMA is a Puerto Rican company that, since June 1, 2021, has operated and managed the electric power transmission and distribution system in Puerto Rico. LUMA is driven by the mission to transform the transmission and distribution system to provide all Puerto Ricans with the reliable, resilient, clean, and affordable electric grid they deserve. As a customer-focused company, LUMA’s entire workforce of over 4,500 employees is committed to delivering an exceptional customer service experience to its 1.5 million customers.
