Power restored in Puerto Rico after devastating New Year’s Eve blackout
- A major blackout plunged Puerto Rico into darkness on New Year’s Eve, affecting almost all customers.
- Power was restored to 98% of customers by January 3, but temporary outages were still likely.
- The blackout exposed ongoing electricity problems and public concerns over rising power rates.
In Puerto Rico, a major blackout occurred on New Year’s Eve, causing widespread darkness across the island. The power outage, which began at 5:30 a.m. on December 31, left almost the entire territory without electricity just as residents were preparing to celebrate the new year. Following this, Luma Energy, the private company in charge of power transmission and distribution, reported that by January 3, power had been restored to 98% of the island's 1.47 million customers. Hospitals, water treatment plants, and sewage facilities had their electricity reinstated, but temporary outages were still expected as the company managed electricity demand and generation. The cause of the blackout was preliminarily identified as a failure in an underground electric line in southern Puerto Rico, with investigations still ongoing. This outage highlighted the persistent issues with the island’s electrical grid, which has suffered from years of neglect and was devastated by Hurricane Maria in 2017. Governor-elect Jenniffer González Colón warned that the island's power infrastructure was fragile, leading her to urge residents to moderate their energy usage to help avoid further disruptions. Customers were also preparing for a hike in electricity rates, exacerbating the challenges of unreliable electricity in daily life for Puerto Ricans. The situation mirrors past outages, including one in June that affected over 340,000 customers as temperatures soared, showcasing the ongoing struggles with the island's power supply system.