More than 400,000 Puerto Ricans are left without water service as the island scrambles to restore power following a massive blackout caused by multiple failures in the electrical transmission system.
Details of the blackout
An island-wide blackout left 1.4 million customers without power and disrupted essential services including hospitals, the international airport, and hotels. The outage began Wednesday afternoon and also caused water service interruptions affecting over 400,000 residents. By the following morning, power was partially restored to 51% of customers and water to 83%.
Cause and restoration efforts
LUMA Energy, the private company managing power transmission, attributes the outage to a combination of issues. The initial trigger was identified as a failure in the protection system compounded by vegetation interfering with a transmission line along the northern coast. Restoration efforts prioritize critical facilities, with expectations that it may take two to three days to restore power to 90% of customers.
Political and public response
Representative Ritchie Torres criticized the ongoing power crisis highlighting the issue of unaffordable and unreliable electricity for Puerto Ricans despite high utility rates. He labeled the situation a 'national disgrace' given that a significant number of residents remain without power in a wealthy nation.
Historical context and infrastructure challenges
This blackout is the latest in a series of power disruptions since Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico’s power grid in 2017. The island's aging infrastructure has led to frequent outages and high electricity costs, prompting many residents to adopt solar panels and batteries. The situation has escalated protests against LUMA Energy, which assumed control over power transmission in 2021.
