LUMA is continuing to focus on restoring power to customers impacted by Tropical Storm Ernesto. As of 7:30 p.m. AST on Aug. 15, the utility has restored power to about 455,000 customers.
LUMA crews continue working around the clock prioritizing restoration for critical services and facilities as per its Emergency Response Plan. It is also addressing the damage caused by heavy winds and rains in order to restore power, especially for customers in the most affected eastern and central areas of Puerto Rico and the islands of Vieques and Culebra.
LUMA expects to announce a global time for restoration, or when it forecasts restoration for all customers, by Aug. 16.
“Our entire LUMA team is focused on restoring power as quickly and safely as possible," said Juan Saca, LUMA president and CEO. "Given the interconnected system of power generators, power lines and substations that all work together to bring electricity to homes and businesses, it is important to remember that damage in one area will impact other areas that may have experienced less visible damage. LUMA’s assessment and restoration crews are fully deployed to affected areas across the island and will continue to provide updates on the pace and challenges we face in restoring power,”
Restoration and Response Efforts Underway
LUMA continues to follow the restoration process in accordance with its Emergency Response Plan, which, as of 7:30 p.m. AST on Aug. 15, includes:
- Dispatching damage assessment and restoration crews to respond to outages – with more than 580 aerial and ground assessments completed identifying the San Juan and Caguas regions as areas that have sustained the most damage, which includes broken poles, downed power lines and vegetation impacts. Repairs are already underway at more than 200 of the identified locations.
- Using emergency response resources including ground fleet vehicles and field employees to assess and repair damages – 1,598 utility workers have been deployed.
- Conducting restoration work in a coordinated manner and under high standards of compliance with safety, prioritizing critical services including health, safety, transportation and communications facilities – assessments identified 222 critical facilities that will be prioritized for restoration, of which 99 have had power restored.
- Continuing repairs and restoring power to all affected customers as quickly and safely as possible when generation is available, prioritizing the repairs that impact the largest groups of customers first – 147 feeders and 23 line segments have been reenergized and cleared of vegetation to support restoration efforts, restoring power to about 455,000 customers.
- Providing customers with timely updates and sharing estimated restoration times (ETRs) across official LUMA channels – LUMA hosted 18 regional meetings with municipal leaders since Tuesday in addition to more than 705 interactions with mayors or their representatives and continues to share frequent updates with customers.
