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Turning off the light in Puerto Rico on Tuesday left nearly 1.3 million customers in the dark as the U.S. began preparations for the New Year’s holiday, and officials said it could take up to two days to restore power.
The Associated Press reported that the power went out at dawn, sending the entire island into silence as electrical appliances and air conditioners were turned off before the generators of those who could afford them kicked in.
Luma Energy, the private company that oversees the transmission and distribution of electricity, said nearly 90% of its 1.47 million customers in Puerto Rico were left in the dark.
The company also said the power outage was caused by a fault in an underground power line, noting it was restoring power in the “fastest and safest way possible”.
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A utility pole with loose cables tower over a house in Loiza, Puerto Rico, on September 15, 2022. (AP Photo/Alejandro Granadillo, File)
The blackout only fueled anger against Luma and Genera PR, the company that oversees Puerto Rico’s power generation.
Governor-elect Jennifer Gonzalez Colon, who will be sworn in Jan. 2, called for the creation of “Energy King” to address potential Luma contract violations until another operator is found.
“We cannot continue to rely on an energy system that is failing our people,” she wrote on X, adding that stabilizing Puerto Rico’s power grid will be her top priority in office.
Also speaking out on the matter is the current governor, Pedro Pierluisi, who in his post on X said he is in touch with Luma and Genera PR.
“We can report that work is already underway to restore service to the San Juan and Palo Seco plants,” he wrote. “We demand answers and solutions from both LUMA and Genera, which should expedite the restart of generating units outside the disaster area and properly inform people of the steps they are taking to restore service island-wide.”
The shutdown forced several businesses, parks and malls to close, and the government announced limited hours for some of its facilities.
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Business owners turn to power generators to be able to continue operating during a power outage on the island in San Juan, Puerto Rico, April 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti, File)
While power outages are rare in Puerto Rico, the island has been struggling with chronic power outages caused by the collapse of the power grid, which was severely damaged by Hurricane Maria, a Category 4 storm in September 2017.
However, at that time the system was already in decline after years of neglect in terms of maintenance and investment.
Only recently did crews begin permanently repairing Puerto Rico’s power system after Hurricane Maria. The island is still dependent on generators provided by the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help stabilize the network.
Last month, the Puerto Rican government asked U.S. officials for permission to continue using more than a dozen portable generators for another two years.
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Meanwhile, the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority is struggling to restructure more than $9 billion in debt, the island’s largest public utility.
Oil-fired power plants generate more than 60% of Puerto Rico’s energy, followed by natural gas and coal. Solar rooftops account for only about 7% of electricity consumption on an island with a poverty rate of more than 40%.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
