Massive Blackout Leaves Nearly 90% of Puerto Rico Without Power
Massive Blackout Leaves Nearly 90% of Puerto Rico Without Power
A widespread outage in Puerto Rico’s power grid has plunged nearly 90% of the island into darkness, according to an update shared by Governor Pedro Pierluisi on social media.
The New Year’s Eve blackout impacted approximately 1.3 million customers, or 88% of users, according to LUMA Energy, the Canadian-American company responsible for the island’s power distribution and transmission.
Governor Pierluisi assured residents that efforts to restore electricity were already underway, stating, "Work has begun to bring service back with the San Juan and Palo Seco plants." He also called for transparency and swift action from LUMA Energy and Genera PR, urging them to restart unaffected generation units and keep the public informed.
The outage, which began at 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday, prompted LUMA Energy’s Emergency Operations Center to collaborate with Genera PR and other partners to restore the grid. The company estimated full restoration could take up to two days.
This blackout is the latest in a series of large-scale disruptions that have plagued Puerto Rico’s fragile power system, long criticized for being outdated and poorly maintained. Efforts to modernize the grid have been slow, despite significant funding and changes in management.
The island’s energy challenges date back to Hurricane Maria in 2017, which caused the largest blackout in U.S. history, leaving hundreds of thousands without power for months. Since then, FEMA has allocated $9.9 billion for permanent repairs. Management of the grid transitioned to LUMA Energy in 2021, with Genera PR assuming responsibility for energy production in 2023.
However, issues persist. After Hurricane Ernesto in August, nearly half of Puerto Rico’s electric customers experienced outages at some point, highlighting ongoing vulnerabilities in the system.
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