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New York Times
21-04-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Another Blackout Forces the Question of Puerto Rico's Political Future
During last week's Holy Week observations, Puerto Rico was plunged once more into darkness. One image quickly went viral: a woman at a supermarket, plugging her respiratory machine into an outlet. A private act turned into a public indictment of a broken system. Like many in the Puerto Rican diaspora, I experienced the blackout from afar through dropped calls and frantic texts, part of an all-too-familiar loop of state failure. I stayed on the phone with my mom as night fell on Wednesday, hoping to ease her sense of abandonment. Near tears, she recalled how she had spent her life working multiple jobs, saving carefully as a single mother for a modest but dignified retirement. Now, she was heating a meal on a camping stove she could barely light with her arthritic hands. 'I don't think I deserve this,' she said. She's right. This isn't the life Puerto Ricans were promised. The latest islandwide blackout is not just a technical failure; it is the most recent sign that Puerto Rico's colonial bargain has collapsed. For over half a century, its commonwealth status — under U.S. federal control but lacking full political rights — was justified by promises of security, stability and the material comforts of modern life. But through storms and earthquakes, bankruptcy and blackouts, displacement and austerity, that promise has steadily unraveled. Each flicker of the failing power grid reveals a deeper truth: the waning promise of American empire, the hollow performance of local politicians and the growing conviction that Puerto Ricans must — and will — forge a different path. At her first press conference after the blackout, Puerto Rico's newly elected governor, Jenniffer González-Colón, declared, 'Puerto Rico cannot be the island where the power is constantly going out,' and cast herself as a mere inheritor of the island's longstanding energy crisis. Yet, as a career politician, staunch Republican and public supporter of President Trump, she spent the past eight years as Puerto Rico's non-voting member of the U.S. House — a period defined by congressionally mandated financial austerity in the wake of the island's 2015 debt default, failed disaster relief and the controversial privatization of the power grid. During this time, Puerto Rico has become exactly what she now decries. That was never supposed to be the deal. In 1952, as anticolonial movements arose worldwide, Puerto Rico was cast as a showcase of American-led progress through the creation of the commonwealth status. In exchange for limited self-rule, the island received paved roads, public schools, hospitals, industry and electricity reaching even the most remote mountain towns. Power lines and reinforced concrete came to symbolize a broader political promise: that under U.S. oversight, Puerto Rico would thrive. That illusion suffered a deadly blow in August 2016, when the federal government appointed a fiscal board — the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico — in light of the country's default. Just a month later, a fire at a power plant set off the first islandwide blackouts. At the time, it felt almost quaint. Neighbors gathered in the streets. Children played outside. Many people likened it to a short story by the celebrated Puerto Rican author José Luis González, 'La Noche Que Volvimos a Ser Gente' — 'The Night We Became People Again.' At that time, I wondered if Puerto Rico was entering its own 'Special Period,' like Cuba's era of post-Soviet scarcity, marked by blackouts, food shortages and economic collapse. Now the comparison feels less speculative. The old warnings issued by those not in favor of independence — 'You don't want to end up like Cuba' or, more recently, Venezuela — no longer carry the same weight. We already live with constant blackouts, crumbling infrastructure, a housing crisis, political corruption and mass migration. What exactly are we being protected from? Yet, some Puerto Ricans still cling to the idea that deeper integration with the rest of the United States is the solution to our problems. After the latest blackout, calls to federalize the electricity grid resurfaced on social media. But what does that mean today in an era defined not by New Deal public investment but rather by DOGE-driven dismantlement in the name of efficiency? Not to mention that America's own energy grid is under mounting pressure. Since 2017, Puerto Rico has been governed by a succession of pro-statehood leaders, each echoing the promise of the 1950s: that U.S. citizenship — albeit in a full, enfranchised form — would finally bring stability, prosperity and dignity. Though they often pose as adversaries, local politicians and members of the federally appointed fiscal oversight board have advanced the same agenda: austerity, privatization and disinvestment, all while enabling speculative investments through generous tax incentives. Just this month, Gov. González-Colón proposed extending Act 60, a law that offers tax exemptions to wealthy outsiders, from 2035 to 2055. For decades, Puerto Ricans seeking independence from the United States were warned that without its protection the island would descend into chaos or dictatorship. But as the nation flirts with authoritarianism — detaining international students for expressing dissent, imprisoning migrants abroad without due process, and warning that 'homegrowns' (citizens) could be next — U.S. citizenship begins to feel less like a shield. The fear of becoming like Cuba might just be canceled out by the fear of becoming like Florida. So what comes next? Puerto Rico's future isn't being shaped in Washington or the governor's mansion. After last week's blackout, Bad Bunny — Puerto Rico's most recognizable voice — posted on X: 'When are we going to do something?' The truth is, Puerto Ricans, including Bad Bunny himself, have already done plenty. They've occupied shuttered schools and turned them into community centers. They've battled developers to reclaim public beaches. They've built grass-roots solar networks and started community farms to fight food insecurity. They even toppled a governor. And in the last election campaign, they broke with tradition, forming new voting alliances and daring to imagine new forms of governance unconstrained by Cold War-era fears. These aren't isolated acts of resistance. They signal the slow build of a new political project — one rooted in mutual aid, solidarity, sustainability and self-determination rather than dependency or tutelage. I have no romanticism about this. How could I, watching my own family pushed to the brink just to survive? But I do have conviction. And I know I'm not alone. When Bad Bunny asks, 'When are we going to do something?' he's not posing a question. He's voicing a certainty. The work has already begun. The only unknown is when we'll reap the fruit of the seeds we've already sown.
Forbes
19-04-2025
- Politics
- Forbes
Puerto Rico Needs Power, Not Political Lawsuits
Puerto Rico is in the dark—literally and figuratively. On New Year's Eve 2024, the lights went out across the island while families prepared to celebrate. Roughly 1.4 million customers lost power. Just four months later, during Holy Week, it happened again within the past 72 hours––another island-wide blackout crippled electricity and water service for millions. In San Juan, traffic lights failed, businesses shuttered, and families scrambled to preserve food and care for loved ones. These blackouts aren't anomalies—they're symptoms of a broken, mismanaged grid that's been on life support since Hurricane María. And while Puerto Ricans face sweltering nights and stalled businesses, their governor is picking a fight with American energy producers. Instead of rebuilding the grid, newly elected Republican Governor Jenniffer González-Colón is pressing ahead with a climate lawsuit against oil and gas producers. Filed last year by her predecessor, Democratic Governor Pedro Pierluisi, the lawsuit seeks at least $1 billion in damages from energy companies—accusing them of allegedly deceiving the public about the risks of fossil fuels and contributing to climate change. Let's be clear—the lawsuit won't bring back the power. It won't deliver a single kilowatt-hour to a hospital, school, or home. What it will do is tie up taxpayer resources in a years-long legal circus while Puerto Ricans sit in the dark. Even if this lawsuit were to succeed—a big 'if'—any payout would be decades away. In the meantime, it does nothing to fix the real issue––a grid that can't stay online on a sunny day, let alone during a hurricane. Puerto Rico doesn't need more climate litigation. It requires energy security. Governor González-Colón has shown no signs she understands the urgency. She was on vacation and forced to return to respond to the Easter week blackout. Even her energy czar, Josué Colón, stated in response, 'It's regrettable. If you ask me, it is unacceptable that this is happening. There's no way we can accept for this to happen in Puerto Rico's electric system.' Any action the governor takes to address the electricity crisis are being undermined by the climate best, it's a distraction. At worst, it's political theater—a way to score points with the environmentalists while Puerto Rican families suffer the consequences of a failed energy policy. Let's talk about priorities. Puerto Rico's energy utility, PREPA, has been in bankruptcy for eight years. Billions in federal recovery dollars are sitting unspent. Contract disputes, regulatory delays and political gamesmanship have choked off investment in transmission and generation. The island's grid was handed over to private operators with little experience and poor track records—and the results have been catastrophic. Justin Peterson, the former Trump appointee to Puerto Rico's Financial Oversight and Management Board, posted on X this week, 'When will Puerto Rico's elected officials stand up for its American citizens and get results?' Instead of investing political capital in suing America's energy producers, the governor should be focused on stabilizing the grid, enforcing accountability for private operators, and accelerating the deployment of reliable, affordable energy. And here's the kicker––even as Puerto Rico sues Big Oil, it remains overwhelmingly dependent on fossil fuels for electricity. Oil, gas, and coal still generate the vast majority of power on the island. The governor herself has backed natural gas conversions and extended coal operations. The governor's pursuit of a climate lawsuit is at the height of hypocrisy. If Puerto Rico wants to reduce emissions, let's have that conversation. But it starts with reliability. It starts with a grid that works. You don't transition to cleaner energy by litigating your way there—you do it by building the infrastructure that can support the transition. President Donald Trump has made clear where his administration stands. Just this month, he signed an executive order directing the Department of Justice to investigate state-level attempts to drag energy producers into court over climate change. The President has made 'positioning American energy for the next century' a cornerstone of his domestic agenda. That starts with protecting the companies that power our economy from being weaponized in court by politicians looking for headlines. Puerto Rico should take note. This meritless lawsuit is a luxury the island can't afford. It's a political statement dressed up as policy. And while it may win applause from the environmental activist class, it won't keep the lights on in San Juan, Ponce or Mayagüez. Governor González-Colón has an opportunity to change course. She should drop the lawsuit and focus on the job Puerto Ricans elected her to do—fix the grid, restore reliability, and build the foundation for a stronger energy future. The people of Puerto Rico deserve leadership grounded in results. It's time to stop suing energy producers and start producing more power.
New York Times
17-04-2025
- Business
- New York Times
More Than Half of Puerto Rico Remains Without Power
Nearly 60 percent of Puerto Rico's more than 1.4 million utility customers remained without power on Thursday, the morning after a blackout knocked all of the island's functioning power plants offline and left the entire island in the dark. Service was unlikely to be fully restored before the early hours of Friday, Josué Colón, Puerto Rico's energy czar, said in a news conference early Thursday. That was how long it would take, he said, to get all the power plants back online after the systemwide shutdown. 'There's still a long road for the recovery of more than 50 percent of the island,' Gov. Jenniffer González-Colón said. As of 7 a.m. Thursday, about 610,000 customers — about 41.5 percent of the total — had electricity, according to Luma Energy, the private contractor that operates the island's power transmission system. A utility customer may be a house, an apartment building, a business, a government building or some other facility. Critical institutions that were back online Thursday included a number of hospitals and the airport in San Juan, the capital, Luma said in a statement. The blackout happened because of a series of failures in the power transmission system, the company said, but why they happened has not yet been established. Luma has asked for three days to identify the likely cause. The utility said that a preliminary review showed that something had gone wrong with a protective system that is intended to keep the entire power grid from shutting down when there is a breakdown on a single line — and that a transmission line in western Puerto Rico might have been affected by overgrowth. Ms. González-Colón, who was elected last year after campaigning on a promise to cancel Luma's contract, said the utility was required to patrol its lines by helicopter to spot overgrowth and prevent it from causing disruptions. Luma said it had been complying with that requirement, but the governor said she was skeptical and exasperated. 'It can't happen that every time there's a little branch, it knocks out not just a line but the entire system,' she said. The governor also questioned whether the system was able to handle the higher demand for power during holidays, noting that the blackout on Wednesday happened during Holy Week, when many Puerto Ricans are on vacation, and that a similar blackout happened on New Year's Eve. Puerto Rico faces a looming power generation shortage. Officials warned last month that there would probably be insufficient power supply to meet peak demand over the summer. The government has solicited bids for an additional operator or operators to provide more power on the island.
USA Today
17-04-2025
- Climate
- USA Today
Most of Puerto Rico still in the dark amid massive blackout ahead of Easter holiday
Most of Puerto Rico still in the dark amid massive blackout ahead of Easter holiday Crews have begun restoring power amid an island-wide blackout in Puerto Rico, with almost 16% of customers back up and running the morning of April 17. The blackout started at about 12:40 p.m. on April 16, when the Puerto Rico Governor's Office said a failure in the transmission of the electrical system plunged 1.4 million customers into darkness. Puerto Rico is frequently plagued by power outages, with the most recent island-wide event on New Year's Eve taking days to resolve. Gov. Jenniffer González-Colón called the transmission issue "unacceptable." It could take between 48 and 72 hours for power to be restored to about 90% of customers this time, according to Luma Energy, the private company that operates power transmission and distribution. By the morning of April 17, about 231,500 customers had their power restored, the company said. Contributing: Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY; Reuters
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Puerto Rico slammed by island-wide blackout ahead of Easter weekend
At least 1.4 million customers in Puerto Rico lost power as the entire U.S. territory was hit by an island-wide blackout. The outage occurred at 12:38 p.m. on Wednesday, according to Luma Energy, the company responsible for power distribution and transmission across Puerto Rico, noting that it's working to restore electrical systems. The massive outage led to disarray across the island. Hundreds of thousands were without water, train passengers were forced to walk along the rails after power was lost, and unlit traffic lights triggered gridlock. The blackout occurred days before the largely Catholic island celebrates Easter. And it may be days before the lights come back on. 'This is unacceptable,' Josué Colón, the island's 'energy czar' and former executive director of Puerto Rico's Electric Power Authority, the Associated Press reported. Luma Energy is prioritizing restoring power to 'critical facilities,' like Centro Médico hospital, while 90 percent of customers' electricity will hopefully be restored within 48 to 72 hours, the company estimated in an 8 p.m. update posted to X. By 11 p.m. Wednesday, about 100,000 customers had their power restored. 'This event once again highlights the fragility of the electrical system, something LUMA has pointed out since the beginning of its operations,' the company said. 'We remain committed to transforming it into a safer and more reliable system for all customers in Puerto Rico.' Puerto Rico residents are no strangers to massive blackouts; the most recent occurred just months ago on New Year's Eve. 'It is unacceptable that we have a failure of this magnitude in the electrical transmission system,' Puerto Rico Governor Jenniffer González-Colón said Wednesday. She was on vacation when the territory went dark, but returned Wednesday night, according to AP. Both Interim Governor Veronica Ferraiuoli and Energy Czar Josué Colón are 'working diligently' with the energy sector to resolve the issue, the governor said in a statement. Both the island's hospitals, according to Ferraiuoli, and the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport were relying on generator power. "Flights are operating normally and are uninterrupted," the airport announced at 1.20 p.m. on X. "We recommend passengers to arrive to the airport with sufficient time." The cause of the outage is under investigation, power generator Genera PR said Wednesday on X.
