Puerto Rico Power Outage: New Year’s Eve Crisis Leaves Majority in Dark
A blackout struck almost all of Puerto Rico early on Tuesday, as the U.S. territory geared up to ring in the New Year, causing over 1.3 million clients to be left without power. Officials indicated that it may take up to two days to fully restore electricity.
Darkness Descends:
The outage descended at dawn, enveloping the island in a strange stillness as electric devices and air conditioners shut down, leaving those with generators as the only ones with power. One man named Manuel, lamenting the coincidence of the outage with his birthday, expressed his frustration, saying, “It had to be on the 31st of December! There is no happiness.”
Nearly 90% of the 1.47 million clients across Puerto Rico were impacted by the outage, according to Luma Energy, the private company responsible for electricity transmission and distribution on the island. By the end of Tuesday, over 700,000 clients had power restored, including critical facilities like hospitals and the water and sewer company.
Seeking Solutions:
Discover Puerto Rico, an organization promoting the island, advised travelers about the blackout and urged cruise ship passengers to check with operators to confirm if they had backup power. While most hotels operated on generators, short-term rentals without them faced cancellations, and the main international airport in San Juan remained operational.
The blackout triggered mounting discontent towards Luma and Genera PR, the power generation overseer in Puerto Rico, as demands for their removal grew. Governor-elect Jenniffer González Colón called for an “energy czar” to investigate potential contractual breaches by Luma and seek a new operator in the interim.
A Nation Without Power:
President Joe Biden assured aid to speed up power restoration, while Gov. Pedro Pierluisi demanded answers and solutions from Luma and Genera PR. The outage led to business closures, limited government service hours, and checks on bedridden patients, including ice distribution for diabetics to preserve insulin.
Despite the challenges, some Puerto Ricans adapted to the blackout, with Enid Núñez sharing, “They’re part of my everyday life,” referring to the reliance on gas stoves for meal preparation during such events. Julio Córdova and Raúl Pacheco exemplified resilience by planning ahead amidst the uncertainty.
The Long Road to Recovery:
While island-wide blackouts are infrequent, Puerto Rico grapples with persistent power issues stemming from an aging grid, exacerbated by the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. The island’s dependence on temporary generators from FEMA underscores the fragility of its energy system, further highlighted by the ongoing debt restructuring challenges faced by the Electric Power Authority.
As the nation navigates through this latest crisis, the unity and resourcefulness of its people shine through, reinforcing the resilience ingrained in Puerto Rico’s spirit.
