Metro: LUMA — only 1,485 miles cleared last year (FEMA $16 million)

On September 15, 2026, Metro Puerto Rico covered the meeting of the Senate Government Commission (R.S. 187, Senator Ángel Toledo López) in which LUMA admitted that, in the past year, it only cleared 1,485 miles of vegetation with $16 million in FEMA funds, compared to a goal announced since 2023 of nearly 16,000 miles.

Rebeca Maldonado (LUMA) said that there are 71 federal removal projects: 32 mandated by FEMA (5,265 miles) with a total allocation of $610 million, 33 in process, and six formulated. Ian L. Kreher clarified that those 5,265 mandated miles are not completed works, but scope with committed funding. Since LUMA took over T&D in 2021, about 9,600 miles have been cleared in total.

NEPR approved $131 million (FY2027) and $137 million (FY2028) in rates for critical vegetation maintenance. Four FEMA contractors (Wright Tree, Asplund, Xpert’s, CERES) expire on December 3, 2026; LUMA opened RFPs Jun–Sep for replacement. Fabiola Rosa Roldán (AEE) said that the DOE ordered in 2025 to expedite due to “limited progress” and that AEE/AAPP/LUMA reassigned eight of 71 projects to USACE for ~$47 million (formalized August 4, 2026). Toledo asked why only eight if they were slow; AEE did not specify and must respond.

Required FEMA ≠ miles already cleaned ≠ total disbursement. Follow-up on the LUMA/blackouts thread (cousin 729). Primary: Metro 2026-09-15.