Pedro Pierluisi justifies the increase in the electricity bill

On Thursday, Governor Pedro Pierluisi justified an increase in the electricity rate approved by the Puerto Rico Energy Bureau, arguing that it was in response to an increase in the “cost of a barrel of oil.”

“As governor, I will certainly not give my approval or support for any increase in the electricity bill due to inefficiencies or administrative failures within the Electricity Authority. Now, this adjustment appears as a consequence of the fact that the cost of a barrel of oil has increased, similar to what happens with the cost of petrol. “he said in written statements.

The chief executive stated that “Puerto Rico’s Public Energy Policy Act 17-2019 states that our primary goal is to transform our electricity system to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels whose costs we cannot control and are harmful to the environment. The transformation of the Electricity Authority (PREPA) is essential to achieve this goal. At the same time, Law 57-2014 created the Puerto Rico Energy Bureau as an independent entity to regulate, supervise and enforce the public energy policy of the Government of Puerto Rico ”.

Pierluisi pointed out that the Energy Bureau, independently, is the entity responsible for evaluating the information that PREPA transmits to it about reconciliations for the purchase of fuel and the purchase of energy every three months.

“During the summer, as a result of this reconciliation and lower fuel costs, the Bureau made this reconciliation and accurately reduced electricity to about 17 cents per kilowatt hour. The processes of the Bureau are public, as well as the resolutions and orders it issues, respecting the transparency required by law in these processes “, he said.

He Energy Bureau approved December 31 last year an increase of 0.81 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of the electricity bill to be implemented in the first quarter of the year (January-March).

For a non-subsidized residential customer of PREPA, with an average consumption of 800 kWh per month, the impact will be an additional $ 6.52 or 4.7% compared to the last quarter of 2020 (October-December). From the $ 138.77 you paid then, you will now get $ 145.29. The cost per kWh increased from 17.3 to 18.1 cents.

A resolution and order of the regulatory body, of which The new day obtained a copy, says that the increase responds to the reconciliation of the adjustment clauses for the purchase of fuel and energy for the period September-November 2020.

Consumer representative in PREPA Board of Directors, Tomás Torres, validated this increase responds to the fact that the price of a barrel of oil “rose” after its precipitous fall in April due to Covid-19 pandemic. However, Torres pointed out in a previous interview with this medium that “No increase is justified until the problems with the fuel inventory at the Electricity Authority are clarified and resolved” and asked the Energy Bureau to stop the approved hike for January, February and March.

The Senate of Puerto Rico will discuss in a session on Thursday a legislative measure with which the body will express its rejection of the increase in the rate of electricity announced by the Energy Bureau.

The measure will also require the Department of Justice to investigate the possibility of illegal conduct during the trip approval, the spokesman of the majority of the upper house reported, Javier Aponte Dalmau.