In a sudden turn of events early Tuesday, Puerto Rico experienced a significant blackout that affected nearly the entire island, causing traffic lights to fail and buildings to lose power. Preliminary investigations by Luma Energy, the primary power distributor for Puerto Rico, suggest that the blackout stemmed from a fault in an underground power line. Restoration efforts could take between 24 to 48 hours, according to an update from Luma Energy posted on social media.
As of 10:00 AST (14:00 GMT), only 13 percent of the island's 1.4 million residents were reported to have electricity. By the following hour, some power was restored in various areas, including San Juan's municipal hospital. However, the New Year's Eve blackout once again highlighted the critical issues facing Puerto Rico's power infrastructure, which has remained unstable since Hurricane Maria struck in 2017.
Local leaders, including Jenniffer González-Colon, Puerto Rico's current US congressional representative, criticized the energy system for its frequent failures. She emphasized the detrimental impact ongoing blackouts have on the island's economy and quality of life. Pedro Pierluisi, the current governor of Puerto Rico, also expressed his demand for accountability and requested solutions from the major power companies, Luma and Genera.
Power outages have plagued the island throughout the year, with significant events including a June blackout that left 350,000 customers powerless during a heatwave and a major outage affecting over 700,000 customers following Hurricane Ernesto in August.
As residents woke up to another day plunged into darkness, they voiced their frustration to media outlets. Enid Núñez, a local resident, commented on the pervasive nature of outages as “part of my everyday life.”
The struggles of Puerto Rico's power grid date back to before Hurricane Maria. While US government funding was allocated to restore and improve infrastructure, issues related to project implementation and access to funds have hindered progress. A recent report from the US Government Accountability Office highlighted these complications, particularly in initiating construction and complying with FEMA requirements for fund usage.
Mark Levine, New York City’s Manhattan borough president, lamented on social media: “Inexcusably the power grid has still not recovered from damage in Hurricane Maria,” emphasizing the urgency of the situation for the 3.5 million American citizens residing in Puerto Rico, insisting that they deserve much better.
As of 10:00 AST (14:00 GMT), only 13 percent of the island's 1.4 million residents were reported to have electricity. By the following hour, some power was restored in various areas, including San Juan's municipal hospital. However, the New Year's Eve blackout once again highlighted the critical issues facing Puerto Rico's power infrastructure, which has remained unstable since Hurricane Maria struck in 2017.
Local leaders, including Jenniffer González-Colon, Puerto Rico's current US congressional representative, criticized the energy system for its frequent failures. She emphasized the detrimental impact ongoing blackouts have on the island's economy and quality of life. Pedro Pierluisi, the current governor of Puerto Rico, also expressed his demand for accountability and requested solutions from the major power companies, Luma and Genera.
Power outages have plagued the island throughout the year, with significant events including a June blackout that left 350,000 customers powerless during a heatwave and a major outage affecting over 700,000 customers following Hurricane Ernesto in August.
As residents woke up to another day plunged into darkness, they voiced their frustration to media outlets. Enid Núñez, a local resident, commented on the pervasive nature of outages as “part of my everyday life.”
The struggles of Puerto Rico's power grid date back to before Hurricane Maria. While US government funding was allocated to restore and improve infrastructure, issues related to project implementation and access to funds have hindered progress. A recent report from the US Government Accountability Office highlighted these complications, particularly in initiating construction and complying with FEMA requirements for fund usage.
Mark Levine, New York City’s Manhattan borough president, lamented on social media: “Inexcusably the power grid has still not recovered from damage in Hurricane Maria,” emphasizing the urgency of the situation for the 3.5 million American citizens residing in Puerto Rico, insisting that they deserve much better.
