San Juan, Puerto Rico, November 1, 2022 – LUMA is proud to be participating in the 6th annual Solar + Energy Storage Association of Puerto Rico (SESA) summit this week to discuss the transformation and growth of sustainable energy in Puerto Rico. During this event, on Wednesday, November 2, LUMA’s Chief Regulatory Officer Mario Hurtado will be giving remarks on the significant progress LUMA has made to date in advancing the clean energy transformation in Puerto Rico and providing greater insight into future renewable projects on the horizon.
“At LUMA, we fully support the growth of clean energy across Puerto Rico – it’s what the people of Puerto Rico want – and that is why we are leading the way in transforming the electric system in Puerto Rico to include more wind, solar and electric vehicles. We know this is the key to building a more reliable, more resilient, more customer-focused and cleaner energy system for Puerto Rico. Everything from working with the Department of Energy to transition Puerto Rico to 100% renewable energy to connecting over 36,500 solar customers will help empower 3.2 million Puerto Ricans with sustainable solutions that will help control costs and improve system reliability,” said Mario Hurtado, LUMA’s Chief Regulatory Officer.
Since assuming operations of Puerto Rico’s electric transmission and distribution system, LUMA has accelerated the clean energy transformation in Puerto Rico at a pace the island has never seen before. Over the past 16 months the company has made significant progress in advancing clean energy priorities and improvements to the electric system including:
- Completing studies to connect 1,300 MW of utility-scale renewable generation to the grid and 490 megawatts of utility-scale battery energy storage systems
- Working with three other utility-scale wind and solar facilities, that will produce more than 175 megawatts of renewable energy to the island’s electric system
- Connecting more than 36,500 customers with rooftop solar, representing over 166 MW of renewable energy – over double the amount of rooftop solar customers connected by the prior operator in a decade
- Activating an average of approximately 2,200 DG services per month
- Accelerating customer connections to solar – with the average time for connection to be completed in 18 days
- Providing a “Distribution Grid Capacity Dashboard and Maps” website to the public, helping guide customers in understanding how to best to interconnect renewables to the grid
- Proposing projects in microgrids, stationary and mobile energy storage, and other advanced grid technologies as part of FEMA 404 Hazard Mitigation Grant Program
- Increasing renewable energy capacity by 42% from December 2021 to February 2022 compared to June 2021
- Coordinating with local and federal agencies to develop renewable policies including: PR100 with the Department of Energy, the Apoyo Energético program with the Department of Economic Development and Commerce, and key electrical infrastructure project with the US and Puerto Rican Departments of Housing
- Working on a Phase I Electric Vehicle (EV) Infrastructure Deployment Plan that will identify actions to support increased EV adoption across Puerto Rico
- Providing technical input and supported the potential contracting of a Virtual Power Plant (VPP)
Moving forward, LUMA will continue to advance the transformation and modernization of the island’s electric system, an effort that will involve even more renewable energy. Through these efforts, LUMA and its partners will build the more reliable and more resilient energy system the people of Puerto Rico expect and deserve.
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.
