The Puerto Rico Mayors Association and LUMA Energy have continued negotiations over a proposal that would let municipalities take part in replacing and maintaining thousands of damaged streetlights across Puerto Rico. Mayors raised concerns about costs, staffing limitations and federal reimbursement requirements. Mayors Association President and Jayuya Mayor Jorge "Georgie" González Otero led a recent meeting with LUMA officials and several mayors.
At the center of the talks are streetlights damaged by Hurricane Maria that are eligible for reconstruction funding through the Central Office for Recovery, Reconstruction and Resilience (COR3) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). González said, "It is certainly a complicated situation, and what we are looking for is a formula that is realistic and viable to implement."
Ponce Mayor Marlese Sifre Rodríguez said having municipalities repair and maintain public lighting under the proposed conditions is not viable or cost-effective, and asked what happens to the thousands of poles not covered by FEMA, with no agreement, funding or obligation. Mayagüez Mayor Jorge L. Ramos Ruiz said LUMA circulated a draft agreement in September that bars municipalities from subcontracting private firms, though most towns lack specialized personnel.
Aguada Mayor Christian Cortés Feliciano said the plan ignores streetlights outside projects tied to hurricanes Irma, Maria and Fiona, and towns cannot wait years for FEMA reimbursement. Hormigueros Mayor Pedro García Figueroa said Act 174-2026 provides a framework for agreements with the private operator of the transmission and distribution system, but any deal must be fair to all 78 mayors.
LUMA was represented by Michael Juarbe, vice president of government affairs, Rebecca Maldonado, director of government affairs, and several engineers.