Puerto Rico Implements Record Electric Rate of 33.86 Cents

Puerto Rico implemented a record-high electric rate of 33.86 cents per kWh on October 1, 2026. The Puerto Rico Energy Bureau approved a 5.28 cents per kWh increase, which raises the monthly bill for a typical residential customer consuming 800 kWh from $229 to $271. This new rate is nearly double the average on the U.S. mainland and will remain in effect until at least December 31.

Luma Energy, the company managing transmission and distribution, attributed the cost surge to high summer temperatures, rising global oil prices linked to Middle East conflicts, and a reliance on expensive diesel fuel after a natural gas delivery vessel was blocked from San Juan Bay for two weeks. However, the Energy Bureau blocked the transfer of $17.6 million in costs to consumers, citing alleged fuel supply failures by New Fortress Energy between June and August.

The rate hike occurs as the island's power grid remains fragile, with recent substation fires leaving over 200,000 customers without power. Simultaneously, Governor Jenniffer González-Colón is pursuing legal action to cancel Luma Energy's contract. The Energy Bureau is also investigating $19 million in payments for gas quantities that may have exceeded the needs of power generator Genera PR.