Puerto Rico's power grid collapses, leaving island in the dark
What's the story
Puerto Rico was plunged into darkness on New Year's Eve as a major power outage left nearly 90% of the island's residents without electricity by 9:30am local time. The energy distribution company, LUMA Energy, reported this through their real-time portal. The company estimated restoring power could take between 24 to 48 hours, "conditions permitting."
Outage origin
Cause of outage under investigation
The cause of the outage remains under investigation, although preliminary findings indicate a failure in an underground line. Ivan Baez, a spokesperson for power generator Genera, called the incident a "major incident" in a local radio interview. He said the failed line operated by LUMA impacted Genera's plants and private generators.
Official response
Governor demands answers and solutions
Governor Pedro Pierluisi took to social media to voice his concerns, adding that his administration is "demanding answers and solutions" from both LUMA and Genera. He urged the companies to speed up the process of bringing generator units back online and keep the public informed. According to Genera's website, two plants started restarting at 9:30am local time.
Infrastructure challenges
Puerto Rico's ongoing power infrastructure issues
Puerto Rico has been facing chronic power outages owing to its crumbling infrastructure. The island was devastated by Hurricane Maria, a Category 4 storm, in 2017. This latest outage highlights the fragility of Puerto Rico's power grid and the dire need for infrastructure improvements to provide reliable electricity supply to its residents.