A power outage affects almost all of Puerto Rico on Tuesday as the US territory prepares to celebrate the New Year, leaving more than 1.3 million customers in the dark. Authorities have warned it could take up to two days to restore power.
The outage began at dawn, plunging the island into an eerie silence as electrical appliances and air conditioners went out before those who could afford generators turned them on.
“It had to be December 31! exclaimed Manuel, a resident, as he stood outside a grocery store in the capital of San Juan, complaining about the outage that coincided with his birthday. “There is no happiness. »
Nearly 90% of Puerto Rico's 1.47 million customers were plunged into darkness, according to Luma Energy, a private company that oversees electricity transmission and distribution.
Luma said in a statement that it appears the outage was caused by an underground power line failure, saying it was restoring power “as quickly and safely as possible.” A Luma spokesperson confirmed to The Associated Press that the incident was under investigation.
The outage has stoked anger against Luma and Genera PR, which oversees power generation in Puerto Rico, as a growing number of people call for them to leave.
Governor-elect Jenniffer González Colón, who is scheduled to be sworn in on January 2, has called for the creation of an “energy czar” to review possible contractual violations by Luma while another operator is found.
“We cannot continue to rely on an energy system that betrays our people,” she wrote on X, adding that stabilizing Puerto Rico's power grid would be her top priority during her term.
Meanwhile, Governor Pedro Pierluisi assured that he was in contact with Luma and Genera PR, adding on X that “we demand answers and solutions.”
Frequent breakdowns
The outage forced businesses, parks and several shopping centers to close. The government has announced limited hours for some of its agencies. Workers checked hundreds of bedridden patients.
Other Puerto Ricans began to prepare.
“I'm going to go to my balcony. This is where I will sleep,” mentioned Raúl Pacheco with a shrug, while the 63-year-old diabetic sat on a walker to treat his injured foot.
Julio Córdova, a municipal worker, said he got dressed by the light of his cell phone and planned to buy candles.
“It affects me because I had plans. It couldn't have been yesterday or tomorrow? » he pointed out, shaking his head as he raked leaves.
While large-scale power outages are rare in Puerto Rico, the island has been grappling with chronic power outages blamed on a crumbling power grid leveled by the hurricane. Mariaa Category 4 storm, in September 2017.
The system, however, was already in decline after years of lack of maintenance and investment.
Only recently did crews begin making permanent repairs to Puerto Rico's power grid after the hurricane Maria. The island continues to rely on generators provided by the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency to help stabilize the grid.
In November, Puerto Rico's government asked U.S. authorities for permission to continue using more than a dozen portable generators for two more years.
Some Puerto Ricans took the latest outage in stride.
“They are part of my daily life,” testified Enid Núñez, 49, who said she had breakfast before going to work using a small gas stove that she had bought for such events.
Meanwhile, the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, the island's largest government agency, is working to restructure more than US$9 billion in debt.
Power plants that rely on oil produce more than 60 percent of Puerto Rico's energy, followed by natural gas and coal. Solar roofs account for only about 7% of electricity consumption on an island where the poverty rate exceeds 40%.
