Puerto Rico's Power Struggles: Post-Storm Outages and Criticism

Tens of thousands in Puerto Rico remain without power one week after Tropical Storm Ernesto. Luma Energy, the company responsible for power distribution, is under scrutiny for continued outages and calls for contract cancellation. Gov. Pedro Pierluisi defends Luma, citing their prompt response, but public dissatisfaction persists.

Tens of thousands of customers in Puerto Rico remain without power a week after Tropical Storm Ernesto hit the island. Authorities have pledged to restore electricity to everyone by the weekend.

The National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat advisory, warning of dangerously hot and humid conditions. As of the afternoon, over 40,000 out of nearly 1.5 million customers are still without power. Officials aim to have all schools powered by late Tuesday and noted that 80% of emergency medical clinics currently have electricity.

Juan Saca, president of Luma Energy, stated the company is working around the clock, but a deficit in power generation is contributing to the problem. Up to 70,000 clients could face temporary outages late Tuesday, adding to the 90,000 already affected by recent power reductions. Luma Energy has faced criticism since taking over power distribution in June 2021, especially as the Electric Power Authority struggles with over USD 9 billion in debt. Amid ongoing outages and dissatisfaction, officials have called for the cancellation of Luma's contract. However, Gov. Pedro Pierluisi supports Luma, noting their fast response post-storm.

(With inputs from agencies.)