Puerto Rico Morning Brief Tuesday, October 6, 2026

LUMA Energy told the Puerto Rico Supreme Court that canceling its contract would cost Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) customers at least $1.3 billion and could jeopardize about 4,000 direct jobs. The grid transmission and distribution operator cited both figures in an Opposition Brief filed Monday, October 5. The court is weighing the government’s lawsuit to cancel the Operation and Maintenance Agreement between the parties, which Governor Jenniffer González Colón’s administration seeks.

Governor Jenniffer González Colón announced on Monday, October 5, more than $114.4 million in funding for road improvements in 42 municipalities. The money covers the second and third rounds of agreements between the Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTOP) and the municipalities to resurface state roads.

Education Secretary Eliezer Ramos Parés acknowledged on Monday that the Education Department (DE) owes money to school transporters, who were in a work stoppage. He said the DE has made significant payments totaling $12 million over the past months. It has also corrected internal processes that for years delayed the processing of invoices. Puerto Rico Education Secretary Eliezer Ramos Parés said that last summer the Office of Management and Budget (OGP) secured approval of funds for the DE to pay debts from prior years, based on a report and reconciliation the DE submitted.

Senator Brenda Pérez Soto, who represents the Arecibo District, filed Senate Bill 1497 by request. The measure seeks to reestablish a temporary mechanism that makes it easier to pay overdue obligations. It would also allow CRIM to recover pending revenue that belongs to Puerto Rico’s municipalities. Under the proposed 90-day special period, taxpayers could pay the principal owed and receive relief from interest and penalties.

The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) renewed its request that the federal court order New Fortress Energy (NFE) to allow a third party to supply liquefied natural gas to the Palo Seco and San Juan power plants. The dispute left a tanker off Puerto Rico’s coast while the plants burned a more expensive fuel. In a motion filed Sunday, October 4, PREPA said Crowley is ready to supply fuel immediately, by land, to both plants.

Governor Jenniffer González presented the Final Report of the Multisectoral Advisory Board on Puerto Rico’s Medicaid Program. Medicaid currently provides health coverage to about 40% of Puerto Rico’s population. In written statements, González said the report puts the data on the table and shows why Puerto Rico needs a Medicaid solution, affecting thousands of families, older adults, children and people with disabilities.