Updated Dec 31, 2024 - Energy & Climate

Island-wide power outage hits Puerto Rico on New Year's Eve

April Rubin

Power lines are seen in the background with a blurry view of a man walking in the foreground. — Power and communication lines are seen on a dark street in San Juan, Puerto Rico, after a major power outage hit the island on Dec. 31. Photo: Ricardo Arduengo/AFP via Getty Images

Puerto Rico experienced an "island-wide" power outage starting Tuesday morning that could last up to two days in some places, per grid operator LUMA Energy.

The latest: President Biden discussed the widespread outages across the U.S. territory with Gov. Pedro Pierluisi during a Tuesday evening phone call during which he offered any federal assistance needed, per a White House pool report.

Biden directed Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm over the phone to continue to offer any assistance the Biden administration can provide to speed power restoration for people on the Caribbean island, according to the pool report.

The big picture: Nearly 90% of 1.47 million clients across Puerto Rico were affected by the blackout at its peak, per AP.

Early investigation shows the failure of an underground power line, LUMA said.

State of play: Power was restored to more than 336,000 customers by 6pm ET. If conditions allow, power will be fully restored by Thursday, the company said.

Power was also restored to the Centro Médico and el Hospital Municipal de San Juan.
The outage started about 5:30am.

Zoom in: Puerto Rico's Gov. Pedro Pierluisi said he is "demanding answers and solutions" from Luma and Genera, another energy company.

Restoration work was underway at the San Juan and Palo Seco plants, per Pierluisi.

Context: Puerto Rico's energy was privatized after Hurricane Maria in 2017 massively damaged the grid. Continuous grid failures have led to protests.

In 2021, operational control of the grid was transferred to LUMA. In 2023, Genera PR was selected for private electricity production.

Editor's note: The story has been updated with the latest restoration information and details of President Biden's action.

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Island-wide power outage hits Puerto Rico on New Year's Eve

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