Now law: municipalities can repair streetlights on Puerto Rico roads and highways

Governor Jenniffer González Colón signed House Bill 1207, which became Law 174-2026, authorizing all 78 Puerto Rico municipalities to repair, maintain, and modernize streetlights on roads and highways within their jurisdictions ¹². The measure, authored by House President Carlos "Johnny" Méndez and Representative Víctor Parés, ends years of community complaints about darkened streets while residents waited for LUMA Energy to address their reports.

The problem was not just about burned-out bulbs. It was a matter of road safety, crime, and quality of life. Drivers navigating municipal roads without illumination, pedestrians crossing intersections blindly, and entire neighborhoods plunged into darkness while LUMA reports piled up unanswered. Until now, mayors had no legal authority to directly intervene in the public lighting system connected to the electrical grid ¹.

The legal framework

Law 174-2026 establishes the regulatory framework for collaboration agreements between municipalities and the private electrical system operator — currently LUMA Energy, LLC ². This means a mayor can now coordinate directly with LUMA to repair poles, replace LED fixtures, and modernize their town's lighting without waiting months on a priority list that never arrived.

The Puerto Rico Energy Bureau laid the groundwork by filing Regulation 9774 on June 22, 2026, known as the "Regulation for the Authorization, Supervision and Regulation of Municipal Participation in Public Lighting Connected to the Electrical System" ². This regulation defines each municipality's operational functions, preserving the system's technical uniformity while granting towns autonomy.

"This law recognizes municipal action in public lighting repair through clearly defined operational functions, preserving the technical uniformity of the electrical system," said Méndez ².

The numbers behind the law

The Energy Bureau certified the availability of $1.2 billion for public lighting projects, according to information released during the "Municipalities & Energy Summit 2026: A New Path Forward" ². Additionally, through a resolution issued on February 11, 2026, $527 million was reallocated specifically for lighting repair and replacement in approximately 35 municipalities that previously lacked assigned funding ¹².

With this reallocation, all 78 municipalities are now included in the current phase of the Community Public Lighting Program. Before the law, only 42 municipalities were part of the program ². Projects will be funded with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funds.

"Thanks to the Governor and our President's leadership, it is now a reality that municipalities can repair and maintain streetlights, lighting up Puerto Rico again," said Representative Parés, who represents District 4 of San Juan ².

What it means for you

If you live in a residential area, urbanization, or sector where streetlights have been out for months or years, this law changes the game. Your mayor now has the legal tool to act directly instead of simply reporting to LUMA and waiting. The $1.2 billion available comes from FEMA federal funds, meaning the money is already allocated — it does not depend on new state government appropriations.

For drivers who travel municipal roads at night, this represents a real improvement in road safety. Dangerous intersections, unlit curves, and dark stretches near school zones could finally receive attention.

How to take action / Checklist

• Identify broken or damaged streetlights on your street or in your area and document the exact location with photos
• Report the problem to your mayor's office or municipality, not just LUMA — they now have authority to act
• Ask your municipality if they have already signed the collaboration agreement with LUMA under Law 174-2026
• If your municipality is one of the 35 that received the $527 million reallocation, demand a repair timeline
• Continue reporting to LUMA through 1-844-888-LUMA to maintain an official record of the problem
• Organize with your neighbors to submit a consolidated list of damaged streetlights to the municipality

What comes next

Implementation will depend on how quickly each municipality signs collaboration agreements with LUMA Energy under the new regulatory framework. The most organized municipalities — those that already had maintenance crews and direct relationships with the Energy Bureau — will likely be the first to activate repairs. For the 35 towns newly included in the program, the process could take longer while operational structures are established.

What remains to be seen is whether LUMA Energy will cooperate swiftly or if the collaboration agreements will become another bureaucratic bottleneck. The law exists. The funds are certified. Now comes the execution.

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Sources ¹ NotiCel, "Ya es ley que los municipios puedan reparar luminarias en calles y carreteras," August 9, 2026. ² El Vocero, "Ya es ley: Municipios puedan reparar y mantener luminarias en calles y carreteras," August 9, 2026.