Puerto Rico Power Blackout Highlights Ongoing Energy Challenges

A major power blackout struck Puerto Rico, affecting all customers as the US territory prepped for Easter. Luma Energy reported restoration efforts, but anger grew over the continued outages, prompting calls to cancel contracts with Luma and Genera PR. The governor seeks solutions amid ongoing infrastructure issues.

Puerto Rico was plunged into darkness on Wednesday when a power blackout impacted the entire island, stirring public discontent just as locals and tourists prepared for the Easter weekend. Luma Energy's spokesperson, Hugo Sorrentini, confirmed the outage affected all 1.4 million customers, including essential services like hospitals and the main international airport.

By late night, power was restored to 175,000 customers, but frustrations were evident as the blackout was merely the latest in a series of power issues plaguing Puerto Rico. Governor Jenniffer Gonzalez cut her vacation short, returning to address the crisis and promising an investigation into the failure.

The blackout also drew criticism towards Luma and Genera PR, who are responsible for the grid's management and power generation. Gonzalez acknowledged demands to reconsider their contracts, though changes would not be immediate. Meanwhile, experts highlighted infrastructure troubles stemming from Hurricane Maria's damage and decades of neglect.

(With inputs from agencies.)