Puerto Rico's Power Struggle: Unmasking the New Year's Eve Grid Failure

A grid failure on New Year's Eve left nearly all of Puerto Rico without electricity. The power outage impacted around 90% of clients. Investigations point to an underground line failure as the cause. Governor Pedro Pierluisi demands swift restoration and transparency from companies involved.

Puerto Ricans faced a blackout early on New Year's Eve as a significant grid failure plunged almost the entire island into darkness. LUMA Energy's portal reported that around 90% of clients were without power at 09:30 (1330 GMT) on Tuesday.

The energy company stated it might take 24 to 48 hours to restore electricity, provided conditions allow. "The cause of the outage is under investigation, but preliminary findings suggest a failure in an underground line," LUMA said. Ivan Baez from Genera described the failure as a "major incident" in a radio interview.

Baez noted that the downed line affected both Genera-operated plants and private generators. Governor Pedro Pierluisi insisted on clarity and quick action from LUMA and Genera, urging the companies to expedite restoring power and keep citizens informed. Genera's website indicated that two plants were restarting in the U.S. territory by 09:30.

(With inputs from agencies.)