PROMESA expert Rolando Emanuelli said on the radio program Pega'os en la Mañana that a possible increase in Puerto Rico's electricity bill stems from the 'incompetence of Genera PR.' His comments came as a decision from the Negociado de Energía (Energy Bureau) is awaited on a request by LUMA Energy and Genera PR to raise electricity rates, expected around Wednesday, October 4.
Emanuelli argued that consumers are being forced to pay for more expensive fuel because Genera PR has failed to reconstitute the power generation system, which would have reduced reliance on diesel plants. He questioned why consumers must bear the cost of pricier fuel, saying Genera PR has not fulfilled its responsibility to modernize and restore the electrical system's generation capacity.
He warned that generation capacity is so low that the shutdown of a single generating unit would create a significant deficit, leading to prolonged load-shedding ('relevos de carga') while Puerto Ricans continue paying increasingly costly rates for inefficient service. The article also references a related note about a New Fortress barge stranded amid a dispute with pilots, and an earlier statement by Emanuelli questioning why LUMA has not requested a base rate review.