Power Struggle: Puerto Rico's Decade-Long Energy Crisis

Puerto Rico faced a massive power outage on New Year's Eve, affecting nearly the entire island due to a grid failure. LUMA Energy reported slow progress in restoration. Aging infrastructure, critical system failures, and fragmented communication highlight ongoing power woes, prompting protests and the formation of an energy task force.

Puerto Rico plunged into darkness on New Year's Eve as a colossal grid failure left almost the entire island without power. LUMA Energy indicated that as of 9 p.m. on Tuesday, electricity had been restored to only 58% of its clients, following an earlier 90% outage.

The outage is primarily attributed to a failure in an underground line, with investigations underway. LUMA faced scrutiny over the role it played in the blackout, which Governor Pierluisi addressed demands for urgent action and transparency in restoring power across the territory.

This disruption renews grievances over Puerto Rico's aging power infrastructure, a problem worsened by previous mismanagement and natural disasters. The island's residents, without electoral representation, have consistently pressed for new leadership to address their unreliable energy supply.

(With inputs from agencies.)