Puerto Rico was shrouded in darkness this New Year's Eve due to a surprising blackout that left over 1.2 million residents without power, according to Luma Energy, the island's primary power distributor. The cause of this major outage is currently under investigation, and Luma indicated that full restoration of services could require between 24 to 48 hours.
This latest incident has intensified discussions about the pressing need to reform the territory's power supply infrastructure, which has struggled since the catastrophic impact of Hurricane Maria in 2017. By Tuesday afternoon, some areas, including the municipal hospital in San Juan, had their electricity restored.
Jenniffer González-Colón, Puerto Rico's current US congressional representative and the incoming governor, voiced her concerns on X, stating that the island cannot endure a failing energy system any longer. These ongoing outages are severely affecting both the economy and citizens’ quality of life. Current Governor Pedro Pierluisi also demanded accountability and practical solutions from Luma Energy and their counterpart, Genera, via social media.
This power struggle is not new for Puerto Ricans; widespread outages have disrupted life multiple times this year, including a June incident affecting approximately 350,000 residents during a heat wave and another outage in August that impacted over 700,000 following Hurricane Ernesto.
As Puerto Ricans faced yet another day without power, their frustrations were evident. “They're part of my everyday life,” Enid Núñez, 49, expressed to the Associated Press, referring to the frequent power cuts.
Historically, Puerto Rico's power grid was already under strain before Hurricane Maria's devastation. Although US government funding has been allocated for recovery and infrastructure improvements, challenges such as project initiation delays and bureaucratic hurdles from the Federal Emergency Management Agency have hindered progress.
Mark Levine, the Manhattan borough president and vocal advocate for Puerto Rican causes, echoed similar sentiments on X, noting the "inexcusable" condition of the power grid. “This is 3.5 million American citizens,” he stated, emphasizing the necessity for better handling of their needs.
This latest incident has intensified discussions about the pressing need to reform the territory's power supply infrastructure, which has struggled since the catastrophic impact of Hurricane Maria in 2017. By Tuesday afternoon, some areas, including the municipal hospital in San Juan, had their electricity restored.
Jenniffer González-Colón, Puerto Rico's current US congressional representative and the incoming governor, voiced her concerns on X, stating that the island cannot endure a failing energy system any longer. These ongoing outages are severely affecting both the economy and citizens’ quality of life. Current Governor Pedro Pierluisi also demanded accountability and practical solutions from Luma Energy and their counterpart, Genera, via social media.
This power struggle is not new for Puerto Ricans; widespread outages have disrupted life multiple times this year, including a June incident affecting approximately 350,000 residents during a heat wave and another outage in August that impacted over 700,000 following Hurricane Ernesto.
As Puerto Ricans faced yet another day without power, their frustrations were evident. “They're part of my everyday life,” Enid Núñez, 49, expressed to the Associated Press, referring to the frequent power cuts.
Historically, Puerto Rico's power grid was already under strain before Hurricane Maria's devastation. Although US government funding has been allocated for recovery and infrastructure improvements, challenges such as project initiation delays and bureaucratic hurdles from the Federal Emergency Management Agency have hindered progress.
Mark Levine, the Manhattan borough president and vocal advocate for Puerto Rican causes, echoed similar sentiments on X, noting the "inexcusable" condition of the power grid. “This is 3.5 million American citizens,” he stated, emphasizing the necessity for better handling of their needs.
