Companies are asking Krizalva to investigate the “secrecy” of the Luma deal

More than 60 companies representing Puerto Rico and various departments in the United States on Tuesday called on the U.S. House of Representatives’ Natural Resources Committee to urgently investigate what lies behind the “secret” of securing Luma Energy’s deal to manage Puerto Rico. Ricoh’s power supply and transmission system, “despite the lack of personnel or expertise to provide a consistent and efficient service.”

“The first month of Luma’s energy operations in Puerto Rico was a disaster,” Puerto Rican and U.S. organizations said in a letter to a congressional committee chairman on Tuesday. Representative Raul Grijalva.

This indicates that their power outage “shows that Luma is not ready to control the system on June 1”.

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“The Luma did not hire the majority of the staff who worked for the Electricity Authority (PERA). As a result of the failure to hire experienced and trained personnel, Luma was unable to properly manage the network, endangering lives and property due to fires and tens of thousands of dollars due to constant blackouts and voltage fluctuations. Damages. ”, They explained in the letter.

The group is made up of organizations that support the Guerrero Soul project, including Gambio, El Bouvent, the Sierra Club, the Anti-Fire Alliance and the Environmental Dialogue Group. The initiative has the support of religious, labor, environmental, community, agricultural and political organizations, as well as the Metropolitan Public Housing Residents Coalition, the College of Architects and Landscape Architects of Puerto Rico, and the College of Labor Professionals. The initiative was supported by the Community, Open Space, Puerto Rico Association of Health Professionals, Puerto Rico Maritime Grant, Hispanic Federation, Earth Justice, United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE) and the Sunrise Movement.

They stressed that the multi-million dollar federal funding for Puerto Rico’s power system offers a unique opportunity to transform it into a decentralized renewable energy phase, as community, environmental and union organizations have long proposed.

“However, the Luma has shown no interest in moving in that direction. Co-Director for Puerto Rico and Territories of the White House Office for Intergovernmental Affairs, Gretchen Sierra-Zorita.

They added, “The disaster would not have happened if Puerto Rico had not received billions of dollars from FEMA and the HUT CDPG (Federal Housing Development Community Development Module Grant Program). Under the agreement, Luma Energy will manage and outsource federal funds without investing a single penny of its own money in the phase. “Luma is a newly formed joint venture between Texas-based Quanta Energy Services and Alberta – based Canadian operator ATCO. The contract with Puerto Rico guarantees him $ 1.5 billion over 15 years, regardless of his performance.

The panel, led by Congressman Krizalva, hoped the commission would launch an emergency inquiry to provide the people of Puerto Rico with answers to these questions, in an effort to ensure that federal funds are actually used to upgrade and replace the power system. Can benefit the people and enrich Luma Energy and its parent companies.