Archive · 3 Dec 2025
Puerto Rico debates power bill increases amid outages
Puerto Rico is having meetings about private power companies wanting to raise electricity bills by a lot, maybe 40% or more.
People in Puerto Rico are upset because they already have a hard time paying for things, and the power goes out a lot.
The power companies say they need more money to fix the old power system that got damaged by a big hurricane called Maria.
The government might also stop working with the main power company, Luma, but that will take some time.
People are worried about how they will pay for electricity in the future.
Puerto Rico's Energy Bureau is holding hearings on proposed power bill increases that could raise average residential bills by at least 40%.
Residents are concerned about the impact on low-income and elderly people, as the proposed increases could see the base rate rise from $4 to $40 per month.
Luma, the company overseeing power transmission and distribution, proposes increasing the residential fixed charge from $4 to $15 per month starting in January.
Puerto Rico's governor has promised to terminate the contract with Luma, with the legal process starting before the end of the year.
Chronic power outages persist, with massive blackouts occurring during Easter week this year and New Year’s Eve last year.
- Who
- Puerto Rico residents, private power companies, Puerto Rico's Energy Bureau, Governor Jenniffer González, Luma
- What
- Hearings on proposed power bill increases and potential contract termination with Luma
- When
- Hearings began in mid-November and continue through late December
- Where
- Puerto Rico
- Why
- To address the need for modernizing the power grid and paying off debt, despite resident concerns over affordability and reliability
- Proposed base rate increase
- From $4 to $40 per month
- Residential fixed charge increase
- From $4 to $15 per month
- Puerto Rico's poverty rate
- More than 40%
- Average electricity rate in Puerto Rico
- 33 cents per kWh
- Average electricity rate in U.S. mainland
- 17 cents per kWh
- Hurricane Maria impact
- Left some without power for up to a year
- Luma's contract termination
- Legal process to start before year-end