On Wednesday, Puerto Rico experienced a massive island-wide blackout affecting all 1.4 million clients across the territory. This outage struck as the predominantly Catholic residents were preparing to celebrate the Easter weekend. Hugo Sorrentini, spokesman for Luma Energy, the organization responsible for the transmission and distribution of power, confirmed the situation to The Associated Press, stating, “The entire island is without generation.”
In addition to the power outage, approximately 78,000 clients were reported to be without water. Officials warned that full restoration of power could take between 48 to 72 hours. Josué Colón, the island’s energy czar and former executive director of Puerto Rico’s Electric Power Authority, expressed frustration, saying, “This is unacceptable.” The cause of the outage remains unclear, adding to the ongoing concerns about the reliability of Puerto Rico’s power grid, which has faced numerous significant blackouts in recent years.
Governor Jenniffer González, who was away at the time of the incident, assured residents that officials were “working diligently” to resolve the outage. However, public frustration grew as many Puerto Ricans expressed their anger over the recurring blackouts, prompting renewed calls for the government to terminate its contract with Luma Energy and Genera PR, the company responsible for power generation on the island.
The blackout led to widespread disruptions, with many residents forced to walk beside the rails of the rapid transit system serving the capital, San Juan. Numerous businesses, including the largest mall in the Caribbean, were compelled to shut down. The power failure also resulted in the cancellation of professional baseball and basketball games, as the sound of generators filled the air amidst the smell of smoke. Traffic congestion became rampant, prompting police officers to manage busy intersections.
By late Wednesday afternoon, reports indicated that around 5,000 to 7,000 clients had their power restored, although this number is expected to fluctuate. Those without generators flocked to grocery stores and other businesses to purchase ice and other essentials. Daniel Hernández, vice president of operations at Genera PR, explained during a news conference that a disturbance impacted the transmission system shortly after noon, a time when the grid is particularly vulnerable due to fewer machines regulating frequency.
Verónica Ferraiuoli, acting governor and secretary of state for Puerto Rico, revealed that the White House has reached out to local officials, offering support if necessary. This blackout follows a similar incident that occurred on New Year’s Eve, highlighting Puerto Rico's ongoing struggle with chronic power outages. Since Hurricane Maria devastated the island as a powerful Category 4 storm in September 2017, the power grid has faced significant challenges, compounded by decades of inadequate maintenance and investment.
