Blackout in Puerto Rico: More than a million people left without power on New Year's Eve

Blackout in Puerto Rico: over a million people left without power on New Year's Eve Nadezhda Batyuk

A power failure has left nearly 1.3 million Puerto Rico consumers without power. Luma Energy estimates that it will take at least 24 hours to restore power.

This private energy company mainly supplies electricity to the island. In its statement, it said that the probable cause of the blackout could be a “failure on the subway line,” reports 24 Channel , citing The Guardian.

What is known about the blackout in Puerto Rico

About 88% of consumers are currently without power. Power restoration could take 24 to 48 hours. Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi said his office is in contact with Luma and “demands answers and solutions from the company.”

We can report that work is already underway to restore power in San Juan and Palo Seco, the governor said on his X page.

He also noted that Luma must speed up the restart of generators outside the emergency zone and properly inform people about the measures the company is taking to restore power on the island.

Local media note that Puerto Rico's power grid is outdated and suffers from poor maintenance and underinvestment. Another reason for the blackout is said to be an accident at a power plant in the municipality of Guayanilla. However, it is still not known exactly what caused the power outage.