Read More: Puerto Rico Energy Bureau Demands Clarity on Fuel Supply Chaos Threatening Q4 Rate Approvals
Today the National Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce filed comments with the Puerto Rico Energy Bureau on LUMA's proposed fuel cost adjustment for October through December (Case No. NEPR-MI-2020-0001).
The proposal would raise the fuel charge by about 58 percent in a single quarter. Based on press reports of LUMA's filing, that would add roughly $72 a month for a small commercial customer and more than $5,500 a month for a mid-size business. For a neighborhood restaurant, a pharmacy, or a small manufacturer, electricity is a fixed cost of staying open, not a line item they can trim.
We asked the Bureau to:
Keep take-or-pay penalties for natural gas that was never delivered out of customer rates
Hold back replacement-fuel costs caused by supplier failures until liability is resolved, and credit any recoveries to customers
Open a separate public proceeding to decide who is responsible for those penalties
Consider phasing in any approved increase and require independent verification of fuel volumes and invoices
Puerto Rico's businesses understand that fuel prices follow world markets. They shouldn't pay twice for contract penalties and supply failures that have nothing to do with the energy they use.