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Legislators press Luma CEO on reliability metrics, past contractor controversies and customer‑complaint processes
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Summary
During the same hearing, lawmakers pressed Luma's new president about SAIDI/SAIFI reliability metrics, legacy procurement and allegations tied to prior contractors; Luma agreed to submit documentation and numbers within five days and described steps to improve complaint tracking.
Committee members used the Q&A portion of the April 16 hearing to press Luma leadership on service reliability, historical procurement, complaint handling and allegations connected to prior contractors.
Metrics and data verifiability: Several representatives asked why SAIDI and SAIFI figures appear higher in recent data than historical reports. Yanis Quiñones Mercado told the committee that historical metrics from the Autoridad de Energía Eléctrica could not be verified and presented Luma's interim metric (a third‑quarter average through March 31) of approximately 1,259–1,259 minutes for SAIDI in the period referenced, and she said Luma has invested in sectionalizing equipment intended to reduce restoration times in targeted areas. Committee members asked for the underlying data; Luma agreed to provide supporting statistics and a breakdown of metrics.
Legacy procurement and pole stock: Representatives raised concerns about poles and materials purchased before the transition. The Chair asked what happened to previously purchased poles that allegedly failed to meet standards. Quiñones said Luma will not install poles that fail to meet its engineering standard and committed to deliver documentation on historical purchases and current inventories within five days.
Customer complaints and the proposed legislative remedy: Representatives described constituent experiences with repeated "querellas" (complaints) that were closed without visible work being done. Luma acknowledged data‑quality issues (duplicate records, lack of precise asset GIS locations) and said it is developing an application to improve complaint submission (including photo and GPS location), and will cooperate with a House bill that would create a formal complaint‑closure mechanism.
Controversies and contractor history: Representative Fulcar Cordero questioned Quiñones about her past associations with contractors such as Cobra and events tied to large wildland fires. Quiñones detailed her emergency‑response and utility management experience, said she participated in mutual‑aid deployments after Hurricane María and in other major incidents, and denied personal involvement in criminal wrongdoing. She described federal investigations that implicated contractors and noted that she passed required background checks and clearances. The committee did not resolve those reputational questions during the hearing and accepted Luma's offer to provide documentary materials where available.
Why it matters: Legislators sought to verify whether management changes and capital spending have translated into measurable reliability improvements and whether historical procurement, disputed contractor behavior, and data gaps could hinder project execution and fund recovery. Luma's commitments to provide written backup within five days will shape the committee's next oversight steps.
Next steps: Luma and the committee agreed on deadlines for documentation: project lists, procurement records, a breakdown of federal fund recoveries, inventories of joint‑use attachments and an explanation of counts for luminaires to be delivered to the committee within five days; the committee will review the materials and may reconvene.
