20,000 signatures reached
To: Governor Pedro Pierluisi, United States Congress, and the Biden administration
Cancel the LUMA contract that has left Puerto Ricans without power over and over again!
It’s been 5 years since Puerto Rico was devastated by Hurricanes Maria and Irma. Families were displaced, abandoned, left without power and water, and thousands died from neglect from those in power. In the following years, the Trump Administration and U.S. fiscal control board pressured the Puerto Rican government to privatize the island’s energy grid to LUMA Energy, a US-Canadian consortium that has failed the people of Puerto Rico almost every single day, forcing families to experience power blackout after blackout.
And after Hurricane Fiona landed in Puerto Rico, the privatized system completely collapsed, leaving 100% of the island (including hospitals) with no power and leaving thousands without access to water. This is absolutely unacceptable. Governor Pierluisi can and MUST cancel the LUMA contract before November 30!
Why is this important?
Before Hurricane Fiona hit, Puerto Ricans were being subjected to nearly daily power outages that were burning out generators, leaving hospital patients at risk, and forcing children to do their homework under flashlights. For this state of misery under the LUMA Energy consortium, households and businesses were issued SEVEN rate hikes—in one year alone.
This abuse is unconscionable. After more than 100 organizations sent letters to the Commonwealth and Federal governments, and to Congress, and after attempts by legislators in the Island to withhold funding from LUMA Energy were blocked by a Congressionally-imposed fiscal control board, Puerto Ricans en masse took to the streets. Their demand that went unheeded: Cancel the LUMA contract.
Gov. Pedro Pierluisi, we echo the call of the people being harmed by this bad contract and incompetent service provider. Do right by the people by canceling this contract before Nov. 30th. Otherwise LUMA will be locked in for 15 years. In fact, all you have to do is not sign any renewal contract.
To President Biden and Congress, we say Puerto Rico MUST have a sustainable and clean, renewable energy grid that is reliable, hurricane or not.
The federal government should take immediate steps so that what should have been done after Hurricane Maria is accomplished. Federal reconstruction funding to rebuild the electricity grid should be required to be used for only sustainable and clean, renewable energy projects, not dirty, polluting fossil fuels. FEMA should reprogram the tens of billions already available in disaster funding to municipalities and NGOs. As energy experts advise, Congress should move to cancel all or a substantial portion of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority’s debt.
FEMA officials recently testified that out of $13 billion available in US grid reconstruction funds, only $40 million had been disbursed, FIVE years after Hurricane Maria. Enough is enough!
Please join the demands of the people of Puerto Rico: #CancelLUMA, #CleanGrid4PR #CommunityDrivenRecovery