Every power-generation facility in Puerto Rico unexpectedly went offline Wednesday afternoon, causing an island-wide blackout. Local officials and power companies are working to restore electrical service, with many customers having power restored and hospitals relying on generators.
Incident Overview
All power-generation facilities in Puerto Rico went offline unexpectedly on Wednesday afternoon, resulting in an island-wide blackout. The outage occurred around 12:38 p.m. ADT and affected more than 1.4 million customers of private electrical service providers.
Official Response
Puerto Rico Governor Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon confirmed that local officials and power-generation companies are working diligently to restore the island's electrical service. The island's Energy Czar, Josue Colon, confirmed the outage during a news conference and indicated the origin of the failure is likely in the southern segment between EcoElectrica and Costa Sur.
Restoration Efforts
Power is expected to be restored for most customers by the end of the following day. Genera PR, the electric company, acknowledged the massive blackout due to all power plants going offline. By Wednesday afternoon, LUMA Energy had restored service to approximately 7,000 customers, and one of the power-generation plants, Palo Seco, was back online at 3 p.m.
Impact and Challenges
During the outage, hospitals in Puerto Rico have been relying on generators to continue providing health care services. The blackout was traced to a breakdown in a transmission line connecting power companies in Penuelas and Guayanilla, further complicating the restoration process.
Related Incidents and Context
Similar power outages have occurred previously in Puerto Rico, with ongoing investigations and efforts to improve the island’s electrical infrastructure. Related articles highlight past outages and recent investments to improve electric grid stability.
