Puerto Rico Faces Severe Blackout Crisis Amid Growing Calls to Cancel Energy Contracts
Puerto Rico's latest blackout left 1.4 million without power and spurred outrage over energy management, echoing an earlier outage on New Year's Eve.
For decades, Puerto Rico's Electric Power Authority did not carry out the maintenance and investments the grid required.
Breaker Failure, Overgrown Vegetation May Have Caused Puerto Rico Blackout
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This is just the latest in a series of massive blackouts that left residents in the dark in the US island territory since much of the grid had to be rebuilt after being destroyed by Hurricane Maria in 2017, including, most recently, on New Year’s Eve.
Power restored to more than half of Puerto Rico after island-wide blackout
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Puerto Rico has been plagued by chronic power outages since Maria, with pictures and videos of transmission lines on fire becoming increasingly common.
A look at why an island-wide blackout hit Puerto Rico and what caused it
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And compounding crises driven by climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic and fiscal pressures have pushed the grid to the breaking point.
Puerto Rico faces massive power outage. Why does this keep happening?
USA TODAY·2d·ReliableThis source consistently reports facts with minimal bias, demonstrating high-quality journalism and accuracy.CenterThis outlet is balanced or reflects centrist views.For decades, Puerto Rico’s Electric Power Authority did not give the grid the maintenance and investment it required.
A look at why an island-wide blackout hit Puerto Rico and what caused it
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The outage forced dozens of people to walk next to the rails of the rapid transit system that serves the capital, San Juan, while scores of businesses, including the biggest mall in the Caribbean, were forced to shutter.
Puerto Rico Struck by Island-Wide Blackout Ahead of Easter Weekend
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Energy officials and political leaders face pressure to address long-standing infrastructure issues and prevent future grid failures.
Puerto Rico hit with another island-wide power outage
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Puerto Rico has struggled with chronic outages since September 2017, when Hurricane Maria pummeled the island as a powerful Category 4 storm, razing a power grid that crews are still struggling to rebuild.
Officials demand answers as crews work to restore power after another Puerto Rico blackout
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The island's grid has been deteriorating as a result of decades of a lack of maintenance and investment.
Most of Puerto Rico still without power after island-wide pre-Easter blackout
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The latest blackout has left thousands of Puerto Ricans fuming, with many renewing their calls that the government cancel the contract with Luma and Genera PR, which oversees generation of power on the island.
Puerto Rico hit with massive island-wide blackout ahead of Easter weekend
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The electric grid crisis is frustrating, and after years of blackouts, it feels like it's going from bad to worse.
Power blackout hits all of Puerto Rico as residents prepare for Easter weekend
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Puerto Rico has struggled with chronic outages since September 2017 when Hurricane Maria pummeled the island as a powerful Category 4 storm, razing a power grid that crews are still struggling to rebuild.
Puerto Rico hit with island-wide blackout as residents prepare for Easter weekend
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Summary
Puerto Rico encountered its second massive blackout this year, affecting 1.4 million residents and disrupting water supply to over 400,000 others. The outage on April 16 resulted from a failed transmission line, impacting hospitals and businesses while prompting public outcry and demands for accountability from energy management companies. Governor Jenniffer González criticized Luma Energy and committed to canceling contracts with energy providers. Despite a partial restoration of power by April 17, authorities warned of ongoing investigations, with crews searching for the blackout’s cause—including potential failures of protective systems and issues with vegetation management on transmission lines.
Perspectives
The recent island-wide blackout in Puerto Rico left all 1.4 million residents without power, leading to significant disruptions in daily life and heightened frustrations among residents regarding the reliability of their energy system.
Local power authorities, including LUMA Energy and Genera PR, are working to identify the cause of the outage, with estimates suggesting it may take a few days to restore power for most customers, while more than 400,000 residents are also without water due to the outage.
The root issues of Puerto Rico's chronic power outages are linked to a failing electrical grid that has not received adequate maintenance, exacerbated by financial constraints and the devastation left by Hurricane Maria.
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