A widespread power outage struck Puerto Rico on Wednesday night, affecting more than 340,000 customers after two power plants in the U.S. territory experienced shutdowns. The outage left the capital city of San Juan and neighboring municipalities such as Bayamón, Caguas, and Carolina without power.
Luma Energy, responsible for transmission and distribution in Puerto Rico, stated that the outage was linked to transmission line issues at the power plants. The company is currently investigating the cause of the outage, which coincided with the shutdown of units operated by Genera PR, the entity in charge of maintaining state power generation units.
Governor Pedro Pierluisi expressed his dismay over the outage and demanded swift answers and solutions from Luma Energy and Genera PR. He emphasized the unacceptable nature of the recent electrical system failures, attributing them to the poor condition of aging plants and transmission lines.
Both Luma Energy and Genera PR were appointed as private operators during Pierluisi's administration. This outage is the latest in a series of blackouts that have plagued Puerto Rico as it continues to rebuild its power grid following the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria in 2017.
In response to the outage, San Juan Mayor Miguel Romero declared a state of emergency late Wednesday, criticizing Luma Energy for providing limited information about the ongoing blackouts. The mayor highlighted the challenges faced by vulnerable populations, including children with specific dietary needs and elderly individuals reliant on medical devices.
The outage has sparked public outrage on social media, with many Puerto Ricans calling for the removal of Luma Energy, particularly noting the timing of the blackout amid high temperatures. The situation has underscored the difficulties faced by residents, especially those unable to afford backup power sources like generators or solar panels.
