Crews work simultaneously to energize customers in the southern area
(June 8, 2024, Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico) – LUMA’s transmission and substation crews continue to be deployed in the southern part of the island to stabilize service following the transformer failure at the Santa Isabel substation. Since Sunday, June 2, after the rain events that affected the island, company personnel have been tirelessly working in the area. Ongoing plans include:
– Increasing the load capacity of the 4,800 line from Aibonito to Santa Isabel to supply energy to more customers.
– Mobilizing high-capacity generators to Coamo and Santa Isabel to energize distribution lines and supply power to more customers.
– Dismantling the failed transformer in Santa Isabel and coordinating the transportation of its replacement.
– Making improvements to the area’s system to strengthen it and prevent other failures.
“Our team has been working continuously with the commitment to resolve our customers’ situation as soon as possible,” said Alejandro González, director of operations for LUMA’s central and southern divisions. “These works are complex and require specialized equipment, highly trained personnel, and enough time to do it well and safely,” said González, who has over 30 years of experience in the electrical system and has been part of emergency responses such as hurricanes Georges, Maria, and Fiona, among others.
Work in Santa Isabel and Aibonito will continue until service is restored to the affected customers, and it is expected that the number of customers will decrease as the work on the 4,800 line is completed and the generators are installed to energize the distribution lines supplied by the Santa Isabel substation. As part of this work, customers in these municipalities will experience service interruptions from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm to expedite the work safely. Some customers may experience rotating interruptions if there is a significant increase in energy consumption after 6:00 pm.
As part of LUMA’s efforts, a Mobile Command Center was activated in the affected area of Santa Isabel, and the Regional Emergency Operations Center of substations, the Caguas region, and Ponce to focus resources and personnel on stabilizing service in the area. Vegetation management crews are also proactively working in the area. “We understand our customers’ frustration and can assure them that we are putting all our available resources and efforts to get their power back as soon as possible,” said Juan Saca, president of LUMA.
LUMA personnel have been in constant communication with the mayors of Aibonito, Coamo, and Santa Isabel to provide updated information on the work to stabilize the service. Additionally, they stay in contact with critical loads such as hospitals, as well as customers who depend on medical equipment to preserve life. LUMA will continue to provide periodic updates until service in the area is restored.
Work in Peñuelas
LUMA’s efforts in the southern part of the island also include work to repair and replace wooden transmission structures that were impacted by the bad weather in Peñuelas. Transmission line crews replaced the old structures of the 9,000 line with 70-foot metal poles capable of withstanding winds of up to 160 miles per hour, providing greater resilience to the communities supplied by this line. In recent days, social media has highlighted the work of crews in a difficult-to-access area to energize Peñuelas customers using specialized equipment. Additionally, work has been done in collaboration with the Electric Power Authority to energize customers using the hydroelectric plant located in Garzas. LUMA expects to restore service to customers in this area by Saturday afternoon.
About LUMA
LUMA is a Puerto Rican company that has operated and managed the electric transmission and distribution system in Puerto Rico since June 1, 2021. LUMA is a company driven by the mission to transform the electric transmission and distribution system to provide all Puerto Ricans with the reliable, resilient, clean, and affordable electric service they deserve. As a customer-focused company, LUMA’s entire workforce is dedicated to providing exceptional and safe service to its 1.5 million customers.
