Puerto Rico’s government sues private power company as chronic outages damage appliances
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rico’s government filed a lawsuit Tuesday against a private power company, claiming it is responsible for damages to customers’ appliances caused by chronic power outages in the U.S. territory.
2025-07-23 17:16:57 - VI News Staff
The civil lawsuit by the consumer affairs department says the Luma company, which oversees power transmission and distribution in Puerto Rico, was “negligent” and is responsible for damages caused to consumer appliances by outages and power fluctuations.
It said the department has the authority to take cases to court to protect those affected by the company’s “inefficiency and lack of adequate service.”
The action was filed against the company as a whole since the law exempts Luma’s employees and contractors from claims filed by customers under an immunity granted in 2021 by Puerto Rico’s Energy Bureau.
The suit cited a recent Luma statement at a public hearing that the company has rejected 1,828 claims. “It’s time for Luma to be fully accountable to Puerto Rican consumers,” it said.
Luma said in a brief statement that it would treat the lawsuit with the seriousness and responsibility it deserves.
“Our commitment is to continue working for the benefit of our customers, despite the significant challenges we face in operating a fragile and deteriorating electrical system, which for years has lacked the necessary maintenance and investment,” it said.
The outages have damaged thousands of appliances ranging from air conditioners to refrigerators on the island of 3.2 million people with a 40% poverty rate.