Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Senate panel opens probe into Ernesto's impacts as mayors accuse Luma of slow, uneven restorations
Summary
A Senate commission investigated outages and other service disruptions after Tropical Storm Ernesto, hearing mayors' charges of missing complaint records and exclusion of municipal brigades while AEE, Luma and AAA outlined restoration figures, FEMA-funded projects and next steps.
The Senate's Commission on Essential Services and Consumer Affairs opened an urgent inquiry on Aug. 22 into the effects of Tropical Storm Ernesto on Puerto Rico's essential services, focusing on electric and water restoration, vegetation clearance and the performance and contractual limits of private operators.
The hearing began with the commission's president reading a directive from the Senate president ordering an immediate investigation under session 6.1 and Article 31 of Puerto Rico's Political Code. The panel cited Luma Energy, Genera PR, the Autoridad de Energeda Ele9ctrica (AEE) and the Autoridad de Acueductos y Alcantarillados (AAA) among invited witnesses.
Mayors' testimony set an accusatory tone. Jaime Garceda, former director of the Association of Mayors, and Jose9 Antonio Santiago Rivera, mayor of Comeredo, told senators that multiple "pockets" of families remained without electricity more than a week after Ernesto. They said Luma's reported islandwide restoration percentages masked local failures in isolated rural sectors, that…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
