Puerto Rico plunged into darkness again as island-wide blackout hits

Puerto Rico faced another significant power outage on Wednesday, marking the second time in four months that the U.S. territory was plunged into darkness. The outage, which affected the entire island, was reported by local power authorities Genera and LUMA around 12:40 p.m.

According to a post by LUMA Energy on X, the restoration of power to 90% of customers could take two to three days. The company’s current focus is on restoring power to critical facilities such as the Centro Médico hospital in San Juan.

The outage was attributed to a system failure and vegetation on a transmission line between Campaleche and Manatí. LUMA Energy stated that a failure in the protection system and subsequent events led to the island-wide blackout.

With 1.4 million customers impacted, representing 76% of LUMA Energy’s customer base, the outage underscored the fragility of Puerto Rico’s electrical system. The company emphasized its commitment to making the system safer and more reliable for all customers.

Despite the challenges, the Palo Seco plant outside San Juan came back online around 3 p.m., signaling progress in system recovery. However, over 400,000 Puerto Ricans remained without electricity, prompting Rep. Ritchie Torres to highlight the ongoing struggle for affordable and reliable power on the island.

This latest outage adds to a series of blackouts that have plagued Puerto Rico, particularly following the devastation of Hurricane Maria in 2017. Governor Jenniffer González assured that efforts were underway to resolve the outage.

The island’s aging power infrastructure has long been a point of contention for residents, who endure frequent outages and high electricity rates. The instability of the power grid has led to protests, with many criticizing LUMA Energy, which assumed control of power transmission and distribution in 2021.

In light of these challenges, many Puerto Ricans have turned to alternative energy sources like solar panels and batteries. The recurring power outages have become a common occurrence, underscoring the urgent need for a more resilient and reliable electrical system on the island.