New Year's Eve blackout engulfs US territory
A widespread blackout affected almost the entire island of Puerto Rico on New Year’s Eve, resulting in more than 1.3 million households losing power. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
A significant blackout has impacted 90% of residents in Puerto Rico, disrupting critical services across the territory.
On New Year’s Eve, a massive power outage left over 1.3 million households without electricity as they prepared for celebrations. The company responsible for electricity transmission and distribution has indicated that it could take up to two days to restore power completely.
The outage occurred early in the day, causing electrical appliances and air conditioning to cease functioning for nearly 90% of the population. By the late afternoon, around 194,000 customers, which included hospitals and Puerto Rico’s water and sewer authority, reportedly had their power restored. However, the website providing updates on power restoration and outages was not operational.
The incident has led to mounting frustration with Luma Energy and Genera PR, the entities managing power generation in Puerto Rico. Luma stated that the blackout was likely due to an underground power line failure and is working to restore power “in the quickest and safest way possible.”
Governor-elect Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon, who is scheduled to be sworn in on January 2, called for establishing an energy czar to investigate potential contractual violations by Luma while seeking alternative operators.
“We can’t keep relying on an energy system that fails our people,” she expressed on social media, emphasizing that stabilizing Puerto Rico’s energy grid would be her top priority.
Current Governor Pedro Pierluisi has been in contact with Luma and Genera PR, demanding transparency and effective solutions. President Joe Biden has been informed about the situation, and US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm has offered federal support.
The blackout led to the closure of businesses and malls, with the government implementing limited schedules for certain agencies. Luis Munoz Marin International Airport remained operational, running on generator power. While most hotels managed to utilize generators, some short-term rentals without backup power reported cancellations. Discover Puerto Rico, a non-profit organization, cautioned travelers about the outage and advised cruise ship passengers to communicate directly with tour operators.
Power outages are a recurring issue in Puerto Rico, with the electrical grid still attempting to recover from the devastation inflicted by Hurricane Maria in 2017. Years of neglect and insufficient investment have left the grid in a weakened state. Currently, approximately 60% of Puerto Rico’s energy is derived from petroleum power plants, followed by natural gas and coal, with solar rooftops contributing only around 7% of the electricity.
Additionally, Puerto Rico’s Electric Power Authority is in the process of restructuring over $9 billion in debt, while the island continues to depend on generators provided by the US Federal Emergency Management Agency to stabilize its grid.
Ian Smith for TROIB News
On New Year’s Eve, a massive power outage left over 1.3 million households without electricity as they prepared for celebrations. The company responsible for electricity transmission and distribution has indicated that it could take up to two days to restore power completely.
The outage occurred early in the day, causing electrical appliances and air conditioning to cease functioning for nearly 90% of the population. By the late afternoon, around 194,000 customers, which included hospitals and Puerto Rico’s water and sewer authority, reportedly had their power restored. However, the website providing updates on power restoration and outages was not operational.
The incident has led to mounting frustration with Luma Energy and Genera PR, the entities managing power generation in Puerto Rico. Luma stated that the blackout was likely due to an underground power line failure and is working to restore power “in the quickest and safest way possible.”
Governor-elect Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon, who is scheduled to be sworn in on January 2, called for establishing an energy czar to investigate potential contractual violations by Luma while seeking alternative operators.
“We can’t keep relying on an energy system that fails our people,” she expressed on social media, emphasizing that stabilizing Puerto Rico’s energy grid would be her top priority.
Current Governor Pedro Pierluisi has been in contact with Luma and Genera PR, demanding transparency and effective solutions. President Joe Biden has been informed about the situation, and US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm has offered federal support.
The blackout led to the closure of businesses and malls, with the government implementing limited schedules for certain agencies. Luis Munoz Marin International Airport remained operational, running on generator power. While most hotels managed to utilize generators, some short-term rentals without backup power reported cancellations. Discover Puerto Rico, a non-profit organization, cautioned travelers about the outage and advised cruise ship passengers to communicate directly with tour operators.
Power outages are a recurring issue in Puerto Rico, with the electrical grid still attempting to recover from the devastation inflicted by Hurricane Maria in 2017. Years of neglect and insufficient investment have left the grid in a weakened state. Currently, approximately 60% of Puerto Rico’s energy is derived from petroleum power plants, followed by natural gas and coal, with solar rooftops contributing only around 7% of the electricity.
Additionally, Puerto Rico’s Electric Power Authority is in the process of restructuring over $9 billion in debt, while the island continues to depend on generators provided by the US Federal Emergency Management Agency to stabilize its grid.
Ian Smith for TROIB News
