Island-wide Blackout Strikes Puerto Rico Ahead of Easter Celebrations
A sweeping blackout engulfed Puerto Rico on Wednesday, just as residents geared up for Easter festivities. According to Hugo Sorrentini, the spokesperson for Luma Energy, every one of the island’s 1.4 million customers found themselves without electricity. “The entire island is without generation,” he conveyed to The Associated Press. Hotels bustling with tourists for the Easter break faced capacity challenges, while at least 78,000 people were left without water. Authorities caution that it may take 48 to 72 hours before power is fully restored.
Josué Colón, Puerto Rico’s so-called energy czar and former director of the Electric Power Authority, expressed his disapproval, labeling the situation as “unacceptable.” The exact cause of this latest blackout remains unknown, adding to a series of significant outages over recent years. Governor Jenniffer González, who was away traveling, assured the public that efforts were underway to resolve the crisis. Meanwhile, frustrated Puerto Ricans, like 68-year-old Orlando Huertas, voiced their anger and called for the government to terminate contracts with Luma and Genera PR, which manage power generation and distribution respectively. “This is a total disaster,” Huertas remarked in dismay as he relaxed in a streetside bar.
The power failure brought chaos, forcing many to walk along the tracks of San Juan’s rapid transit system. Numerous businesses, including the Caribbean’s largest mall, had to shut their doors. Sporting events like professional baseball and basketball were canceled, and the air was filled with the noise and smoke of generators. Traffic crawled to a halt at intersections managed by police officers. By Wednesday afternoon, power had been restored to some 5,000 to 7,000 customers, although this figure is subject to change. With few alternatives, those without generators flocked to stores for ice, desperate to cope.
Carmen Suriel, worried about her two young children—one a toddler and the other a five-year-old with Down syndrome—lamented her broken generator amidst the sweltering heat. Alma Ramírez, 69, expressed her frustration at the repeated outages that had already damaged household appliances like her TV and microwave. “They have to improve,” Ramírez urged regarding government action, stressing that the poor are the worst affected. Over 40% of Puerto Rico’s 3.2 million residents live in poverty, lacking the means for solar panels or generators. Although President Joe Biden’s administration pushed for renewable energy use in Puerto Rico, which introduced mega generators and resources, experts are concerned these efforts might not persist under President Donald Trump.
In Puerto Rico, 62% of power comes from petroleum-fired plants, 24% from natural gas, 8% from coal, and just 7% from renewables, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Genera PR’s operations VP, Daniel Hernández, explained that a transmission system interruption occurred around noon, a particularly vulnerable time with fewer machines managing frequency. Acting governor and secretary of state, Verónica Ferraiuoli, mentioned that the White House reached out, ready to assist if required. Puerto Rico’s congressional representative, Pablo José Hernández, pledged to ensure that “Washington comprehends the real and pressing challenges Puerto Ricans encounter daily.”
The electrical crisis continues to provoke frustration, with many feeling that the situation is deteriorating. This blackout follows a previous one on New Year’s Eve and is part of ongoing struggles since Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico in 2017. The power grid, already fragile from years of neglect and underinvestment, endures attempts at rebuilding, yet remains vulnerable to failures.