Newsroom

LUMA ANNOUNCES HISTORIC START OF CONSTRUCTION ON FIRST LUMA-FEMA PROJECTS DURING “COMMUNITY STREETLIGHT WEEK”

Project Announcements in Communities of Aguada and Maunabo Kickoff First Phase of LUMA’s $1 billion “Community Streetlight Initiative” to Transform Puerto Rico’s Energy Grid

San Juan, Puerto Rico, July 1, 2022 – This week,LUMA, along with the mayors of the municipalities of Aguada and Maunabo, hosted two separate events to commemorate the start of construction on the historic $1 billion Community Streetlight Initiative (CSI), Puerto Rico’s first reconstruction project approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

CSI will work toward repairing and replacing thousands of streetlights throughout Puerto Rico and improving energy efficiency and public safety over the coming years. In the communities of Aguada and Maunabo, crews have already begun the important work of repairing and/or replacing over 9,000 streetlights, representing over $30 million in federal funding.

“LUMA is dedicated to advancing and initiating FEMA-funded projects that will fundamentally transform and modernize Puerto Rico’s electric system. Whether it’s replacing substations and electric poles, or transmission lines and streetlights, these projects will make the island’s electrical infrastructure more reliable and resilient while improving public safety. Through the Community Streetlight Initiative, we are repairing and replacing streetlights across Puerto Rico that have suffered from years – if not decades – of neglect from the prior operator. I want to thank Mayor Cortés, Mayor Lafuente and our partners at FEMA and COR3 for their support of this historic project,” said Wayne Stensby, President and Chief Executive Officer of LUMA.

The two events were held on Tuesday and Friday of this week in Aguado and Maunabo, respectively, where community representatives and leaders – including Aguada Mayor Christian Cortés and Maunabo Mayor Ángel Omar Lafuente Amaro – were joined by LUMA President and Chief Executive Officer Wayne Stensby, 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 these critical reconstruction projects.

“This week of historic announcements is only the start – as we continue to advance Community Streetlight Initiative projects across the island, we will soon be replacing or repairing over 300 streetlights each and every week,” said Stensby. “We are proud of the hard work our LUMA teams are continuing to devote to projects like these to build the more reliable, more resilient, more customer-focused and cleaner energy system for our 1.5 million customers.”

###

Community Streetlight Initiative Project Details

  • Nearly $30 million in federal funding is approved for the initial phase of CSI and are part of approximately $98 million in total funding for streetlight projects expected to begin 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 2,428 streetlights

Both projects are funded by FEMA’s Public Assistance Program, which provides funding for reconstruction work for the recovery from major disasters or emergencies. Additionally, both projects are receiving critical funding from FEMA’s 406 Hazard Mitigation Program, which hardens infrastructure to mitigate future impacts of severe weather. This hardening work increases the strength of streetlight arms, breakaway bases, concrete bases and poles by increasing the wind tolerance of all materials to 160mph. 

Future FEMA Projects in Progress

To date, LUMA has initiated 186 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.