San Juan, PR – February 9, 2026 – As part of efforts to stabilize and modernize Puerto Rico’s electric system, LUMA announced the reconstruction of four 38kV high-voltage transmission lines that had remained inoperative since Hurricane María, impacting a large portion of the island. These lines, located from Arecibo to Quebradillas, Humacao and Bayamón, will provide redundancy to a significant part of the electric system, benefiting more than 130,000 customers across various regions of the island, while also strengthening resilience for critical loads such as hospitals, emergency centers, schools, and the industrial zone, including pharmaceutical companies.
These lines are part of the critical infrastructure severely damaged by Hurricane María in 2017, which remained out of service for years. Under LUMA’s management, four of these lines have now been rebuilt and re-energized, and the remaining two are expected to be completed during the first quarter of the year. Reconstruction work began in phases following the allocation of federal funds from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), enabling progress on complex projects across different regions of the island.
Transmission Line Progress
Rebuilt and In-Service Lines
- Metropolitan Area – Line 9100 (Bayamón)
Line 9100, spanning 35 structures from the Guaraguao substation to Lomas Verdes, has been rebuilt and returned to service. Work included:
- Installation of 3,500 feet of electric cable
- Installation of four new poles of 70 feet and two of 85 feet withstand winds up to 160 mph
- Replacement of insulators and hardware in all the poles
- Refurbishment of a 2,400-foot underground section
- Replacement of a breaker in the Guaraguao substation that was service for 70 years
- Vegetation maintenance in residential areas and backyards
- East Area – Line 12600 (From Humacao to Vieques and Culebra)
The 12600 line, which spans 110 poles from Naguabo to Humacao, is being rebuilt and energized. This line connects the Naguabo TC substation with the Verde Mar substation in Humacao and is vital for providing redundancy to the system that serves more than 70,000 customers in Naguabo, Humacao, Juncos, Las Piedras, Vieques, and Culebra. Currently, Vieques and Culebra rely exclusively on line 5400, which increased the risk of outages. Among the work carried out on this line are:
- Replacement of critical equipment such as insulators and hardware on the 110 poles
- Installation of nearly 30,000 feet of electrical material on 30 poles with their bases, following industry standards
With the commissioning of line 12,600, greater redundancy will be provided for businesses, schools, and the industrial zone, including pharmaceutical companies.
- Northern Area – Line 2100 (Camuy to Utuado)
Line 2100, crossing 126 structures, was fully rebuilt. In this difficult-to-access area, work included:
- Installation of two new switches to improve sectionalizing and maintenance capability
- Installation of 17 poles that withstand winds up to 160 mph in various sections
- Replacement of insulators and hardware in 76 poles
- Replacement of 3,250 feet of cable using the helicopter
- Vegetation maintenance in critical zones
- Replacement of a circuit breaker in service for 35 years at Dos Bocas substation to enhance system protection and reliability
This project benefits more than 15,000 customers in Camuy, Hatillo, Utuado, and Arecibo, and strengthens electric service to the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (AAA) plant in Charco Hondo.
- Northern Area – Line 13600 (Arecibo)
Line 13600, from Seccionadora to Mirador Azul, has been rebuilt and energized. Work included:
- Installation of 5,000 feet of electric cable
- Installation of two new switches to improve sectionalizing and maintenance capability
- Replacement of a circuit breaker in service for 68 years at Arecibo substation to enhance system protection and reliability
- Installation of two galvanized poles of 70 feet to withstand winds up to 160 mph
- Correction of three poles that were in poor condition.
- Replacement of two galvanized poles with poles rated to withstand winds up to 160 mph
This line provides redundancy for critical loads, including hospitals and the Manuel G. “Petaca” Iguina Reyes Coliseum, FEMA’s emergency operations center in the northern region.
“Access to federal funds from the U.S. Department of Energy was essential to completing these critical projects. Thanks to this support, we have been able to rebuild three transmission lines that had been out of service since Hurricane María. These lines provide redundancy and resilience to the electric system, benefiting tens of thousands of customers and ensuring service to critical facilities such as hospitals and emergency centers. In addition, they are part of other strategic projects we are working on to modernize and strengthen Puerto Rico’s electric grid,” said Pedro Meléndez, LUMA’s Chief Officer of Capital Programs and Grid Transformation.
An additional line will be ready this year, which had been inoperative since Hurricane María:
- 4500 in the Southern Area (Ponce), linking Canas TC with La Rambla in Ponce, will improve reliability for more than 7,000 customers of Ponce and Juana Díaz.
These projects are part of federal funds allocated by the Department of Energy for the recovery and modernization of the electric system.
The reconstruction of these five lines is part of a portfolio of strategic DOE-funded projects focused on modernizing and strengthening the electric system, with the goal of restoring redundancy, reducing the risk of large-scale outages, and improving resilience against severe weather events, benefiting tens of thousands of customers in Puerto Rico.
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 service they deserve. As a customer-centric company, LUMA’s entire workforce of over 4,000 employees is focused on safely delivering an exceptional customer service experience to its nearly 1.5 million customers.
