On April 16, Puerto Rico experienced an island-wide blackout, leaving all 1.4 million power customers without electricity. The outage occurred as residents prepared for the Easter weekend, a time when hotels were nearly full with tourists. At least 78,000 residents also lost access to water. Power restoration is expected to take 48 to 72 hours, with only 5,000 to 7,000 customers regaining electricity by late Wednesday.
The cause of the outage is still unknown but is the latest in a series of blackouts since Hurricane Maria damaged the power grid in 2017. The growing frustration has led to renewed calls to end contracts with Luma Energy and Genera PR, responsible for power distribution and generation.
The blackout disrupted daily life, forcing businesses to close and public transportation to halt. With Puerto Rico’s poverty rate over 40% and limited access to backup power or renewables, the region remains vulnerable.
Officials, including the acting governor and Puerto Rico’s Congress representative, are seeking federal support to address the island’s persistent energy crisis, warning of deteriorating infrastructure and insufficient maintenance. The reliance on fossil fuels, combined with political uncertainty around renewable energy support, further complicates efforts to stabilize the grid.
This blackout is the latest in a series of significant blackouts that have plagued the island in recent years, following the devastation of Hurricane Maria in 2017, which destroyed much of the power grid.
The island’s aging power infrastructure has been a persistent source of frustration for residents, who face frequent outages and some of the highest electricity rates in the U.S.
Power outages have become so common in Puerto Rico that many residents have installed solar panels and batteries in their homes and businesses. The ongoing instability of the power grid has also led to protests, with many criticizing LUMA, which took over power transmission and distribution in 2021.
Puerto Rico has long dealt with chronic power outages, including a blackout on New Year’s Eve, as its infrastructure crumbles.
Genera added in a post on X it was working to bring backup units online and investigate the cause of the incident.
The island’s aging power infrastructure has been a persistent source of frustration for residents, who face frequent outages and some of the highest electricity rates in the U.S.
Power outages have become so common in Puerto Rico that many residents have installed solar panels and batteries in their homes and businesses. The ongoing instability of the power grid has also led to protests, with many criticizing LUMA, which took over power transmission and distribution in 2021.
