San Juan, Puerto Rico — A significant island-wide blackout struck Puerto Rico on Wednesday, coinciding with the preparations of the largely Catholic population for the Easter weekend celebrations. According to Hugo Sorrentini, spokesperson for Luma Energy, the company responsible for the island’s power transmission and distribution, all 1.4 million clients across Puerto Rico were left without electricity. “The entire island is without generation,” he confirmed to The Associated Press.
As thousands of tourists flocked to the island for Easter vacations, hotels were operating at near-capacity. In response to the blackout, tourism officials rushed to reassure visitors, noting that many hotels and businesses had backup generators to maintain operations. However, the situation worsened as at least 78,000 clients also found themselves without water, with officials warning that full power restoration might take an additional 48 to 72 hours.
Josué Colón, the island's energy czar and former executive director of Puerto Rico's Electric Power Authority, expressed his frustration, stating, “This is unacceptable.” The cause of this latest shutdown remains unclear, adding to a history of major blackouts that have plagued the island in recent years.
Governor Jenniffer González, who was away during the outage, assured the public that officials were "working diligently" to resolve the issue. Many residents expressed their anger, calling for the government to terminate its contracts with Luma Energy and Genera PR, the company responsible for power generation on the island. Orlando Huertas, 68, criticized the government's inaction while enjoying a drink at a streetside bar, declaring, “This is a total disaster.”
The blackout caused significant disruptions, forcing individuals to walk alongside the rails of the rapid transit system serving the capital, San Juan. Numerous businesses, including the Caribbean's largest mall, were compelled to close their doors. Professional sports events, including baseball and basketball games, were also canceled amidst the chaos, as the sound of generators filled the air and smoke lingered around the island.
As the situation unfolded, traffic congestion worsened, prompting police officers to assist at busy intersections. Reggaeton sensation Bad Bunny voiced the collective frustration on social media platform X, asking, “When are we going to do something?”
By late Wednesday afternoon, approximately 5,000 to 7,000 clients had their power restored, although that number fluctuated throughout the day. Many residents without generators flocked to grocery stores and other businesses to purchase ice. Carmen Suriel, a concerned mother, lamented, “I’m desperate. My generator is broken,” worrying about the impact of the blackout on her two young children as temperatures rose across the island.
Alma Ramírez, 69, expressed her frustration regarding the ongoing outages, which had already damaged her television and microwave, leading her to purchase new appliances. “They have to improve,” she insisted, highlighting the disproportionate impact on low-income families. Puerto Rico, home to 3.2 million residents, has a poverty rate exceeding 40%, and not everyone can afford solar panels or generators.
Amidst a push for renewable energy sources during former U.S. President Joe Biden's administration, which provided Puerto Rico with significant resources, concerns have arisen about a potential shift under President Donald Trump. Currently, approximately 117,000 homes and businesses utilize solar rooftops, while petroleum-fired power plants account for 62% of the island’s energy production, followed by natural gas at 24%, coal at 8%, and renewables at just 7%, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Daniel Hernández, vice president of operations at Genera PR, reported during a press conference that a disturbance impacted the transmission system shortly after noon on Wednesday. This incident occurred during a vulnerable period for the grid, which lacks sufficient machines to regulate frequency effectively. Meanwhile, Verónica Ferraiuoli, acting governor and secretary of state for Puerto Rico, announced that the White House had reached out to local officials, offering assistance if necessary.
Pablo José Hernández, Puerto Rico’s representative in Congress, vowed to ensure that “Washington understands the real and urgent situation Puerto Ricans face every day.” He described the electric grid crisis as increasingly frustrating, noting, “After years of blackouts, it feels like it’s going from bad to worse.” The last island-wide blackout occurred on New Year’s Eve, and Puerto Rico has battled chronic outages since Hurricane Maria struck in September 2017, devastating an already deteriorating power grid due to decades of inadequate maintenance and investment.
