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Puerto Rico experienced a widespread blackout on Wednesday (April 16) when every power-generation facility unexpectedly went offline. The outage affected more than 1.4 million customers across the island, leaving many without electricity. Puerto Rico's Energy Czar, Josué Colón, stated that the outage began shortly after 12:38 p.m. and originated in the southern area between EcoElectrica and Costa Sur, impacting additional transmission segments.
Governor Jenniffer González-Colón assured residents that officials are working diligently to restore power and will provide updates on the cause of the blackout and estimated restoration times. As of Thursday morning, about 610,000 customers had regained electricity, with critical institutions like hospitals and the San Juan airport back online, according to Luma Energy, the company operating the island's power transmission system. However, full restoration is not expected until Friday (April 18) morning.
The blackout resulted from a series of failures in the power transmission system, though the exact cause remains under investigation. Luma Energy has requested three days to determine the likely cause, with preliminary reviews suggesting issues with a protective system designed to prevent total grid shutdowns. Governor González-Colón criticized Luma for failing to prevent such disruptions, emphasizing the need for more reliable infrastructure, especially during peak demand periods like Holy Week.
The island faces a looming power generation shortage, with officials warning of potential supply issues during the summer. The government is seeking additional operators to enhance the island's power capacity.