Puerto Rico faced a major power outage early on New Year’s Eve, leaving most of the island without electricity. By 9:30 AM on Tuesday, around 90% of customers were affected, according to LUMA Energy’s real-time data. The company estimated it would take 24 to 48 hours to restore power, depending on conditions.
The cause of the outage is still under investigation, but preliminary reports suggest a failure in an underground line. Ivan Baez, a spokesperson for power generator Genera, called it a “major incident,” noting that the failure impacted both Genera’s plants and private generators.
Governor Pedro Pierluisi expressed frustration on social media, demanding that LUMA and Genera accelerate efforts to restore power and provide regular updates to the public. By 9:30 AM, two plants were back online, according to Genera’s website.
Puerto Rico has struggled with frequent power outages for years, worsened by the destruction caused by Hurricane Maria in 2017.
