San Juan, Puerto Rico, September 26, 2021—During its first 100 days operating Puerto Rico’s electric power transmission and distribution system, LUMA has laid a solid foundation for the transformation that will deliver customer-centric, reliable, resilient, sustainable electricity at reasonable prices to all Puerto Ricans.
“The Public-Private Partnership that LUMA entered for the operation of the transmission and distribution system is the first critical step in a journey that will lead to the modern electric power system that Puerto Rico deserves; a process that also includes the eventual private operation of PREPA’s generation fleet and the utility’s crucial exit from bankruptcy. Our more than 3,000 employees have worked tirelessly to stabilize our operation and significantly improve customer service, paving the way for the exciting work ahead. This transformation will be a decade-long endeavor that will invest billions of dollars into the Puerto Rican economy and give the people of Puerto Rico a 21st century electric power system,” said LUMA President and CEO Wayne Stensby.
LUMA is a customer-centric company that provides its 1.5 million customers multiple ways of receiving service. The company deployed new service channels, including the MiLUMA mobile app, which more than 360,000 customers are using to connect with LUMA. LUMA reopened all 25 Customer Service Centers island wide, including Vieques and Culebra, where over 500,000 customers have been served since June 1. LUMA customers are also communicating with the company through social media direct messages and email, a service option that has been utilized by clients more than 150,000 times over the last 100 days. Additionally, customer service agents at LUMA’s four regional Call Centers have received and answered more than 1 million customer calls, as average call waiting times have dropped down to less than 10 minutes.
LUMA has made significant progress in stabilizing and beginning maintenance of the fragile transmission and distribution system. This includes the completion of over 51,000 service calls, vegetation management, and bringing back into service four substations, some of which had been out of service since Hurricane Maria in 2017.
In addition, as part of LUMA’s disciplined approach to integrating alternative energy sources into the system, LUMA’s Net Energy Metering Program and Distributed Generation Interconnection teams processed over 23,000 applications, seven times PREPA’s historical monthly average rate of processing. Since June 1, LUMA has switched over 6,000 customers to net metering.
During its first 100 days, LUMA put its Emergency Response Plan to the test by successfully managing a large substation fire that left 90,000 customers without power in June, and to respond to the system impacts of storms Grace, Elsa and Fred in July and August. Thanks to the rigor of the company’s emergency response plans, the necessary resources were activated, and service was restored in a safe, orderly manner to all impacted customers.
Presently, LUMA is managing 65 projects approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which represent an investment of $2.8B. The projects, in various stages of development, include transmission, distribution and substation works slated to start construction in 2022.
“At the 100-day mark, I look back at the many challenges that our company and our employees have faced as we’ve started the critical work of transforming the system and serving our customers. Despite the numerous hurdles, our people have risen to the occasion and demonstrated that this transformation is not just possible, it is well underway,” concluded Stensby.
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About LUMA:
LUMA is a Puerto Rican company that, since June 1, 2021, operates Puerto Rico’s electric power transmission and distribution system. LUMA is a mission-driven company dedicated to transforming the electric transmission and distribution system to provide all Puerto Ricans with the reliable, resilient, and affordable power grid they deserve. As a customer-centric company, LUMA’s entire workforce is focused on safely delivering an exceptional customer service experience to our more than 1 million customers.
