SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — A blackout hit nearly all of Puerto Rico early Tuesday as the U.S. territory prepared to celebrate New Year’s Eve.
More than 1.2 million out of 1.47 million clients were without power, according to Luma Energy, a private company that oversees electricity transmission and distribution on the island.
It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the widespread outage or when power would be restored. Luma officials did not immediately return a message for comment.
In a post on X, Luma said it was in touch with crews and companies overseeing the generation of power in Puerto Rico to solve the outage. It said it would offer details as soon as possible.
A spokesperson for Genera PR, which oversees power generation, could not be immediately reached for comment.
Puerto Rico continues to struggle with chronic power outages blamed on a crumbling power grid that was razed by Hurricane Maria, a powerful category 4 storm that struck the island in September 2017.
The system was already in decline prior to the storm given years of lack of maintenance and investment.
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On New Year’s Eve, nearly all of Puerto Rico is facing a major power outage, leaving thousands of residents in the dark as they prepare to ring in the new year. The island’s power grid has been plagued by ongoing issues since Hurricane Maria in 2017, and the latest outage has once again highlighted the vulnerability of Puerto Rico’s infrastructure.
With just hours left until midnight, many residents are scrambling to find alternative ways to celebrate the holiday, from lighting candles and lanterns to relying on generators. The lack of electricity is not only a major inconvenience but also a safety concern, especially as fireworks and festivities are set to take place across the island.
Officials are working to restore power as quickly as possible, but the widespread outage serves as a stark reminder of the challenges Puerto Rico continues to face in rebuilding its infrastructure. As we bid farewell to 2021 and welcome 2022, let’s keep the people of Puerto Rico in our thoughts and hope for a brighter and more resilient future for the island.
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