Latest news with #LUMAEnergy
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Power restored to nearly all of Puerto Rico less than 48 hours after island-wide blackout
April 18 (UPI) -- Electrical power was restored Friday to nearly 99% of customers less than 48 hours after an island-wide outage, according to a statement from private energy company LUMA. "As of 5:00 a.m. on April 18, LUMA had restored power to 1,450,367 customers, representing 98.8%, in less than 48 hours since the island-wide outage," LUMA Energy said in an X statement. "LUMA remains focused on completing the restoration and will continue work until all customers have service." The power failure seems to have occurred for several reasons including a failure of the protection system and vegetation on a transmission line along Puerto Rico's northern coast. The blackout happened Wednesday afternoon. Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon said it appeared to have originated between EcoElectrica and Costa Sur as well as in additional transmission segments. "The company continues to prioritize restoring critical infrastructure, including hospitals, water plants, airports, and emergency services," LUMA said. It said some customers could continue to experience temporary outages due to limited generation. LUMA said between 98% and 100% of hospitals in most regions have power restored and all of the correctional facilities and airports have power restored. This week's blackout is the latest in a series of power outages since 2017 when Hurricane Maria wiped out large sections of the island's power grid. Another island-wide blackout occurred last New year's Eve and lasted for two days.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Power restored to nearly all of Puerto Rico
Power has been restored to nearly 99% of customers, LUMA Energy said in an update early Friday. LUMA Energy gave an update at 5 a.m. on Friday morning, saying that almost 1.5 million people -- or 98.8% of their customers -- have now had their power restored. 'LUMA remains focused on completing the restoration and will continue work until all customers have service,' the statement from LUMA Energy read. 'As of 5:00 a.m. on April 18, LUMA had restored power to 1,450,367 customers, representing 98.8% of the total, in less than 48 hours since the island-wide outage began.' 'With this progress, LUMA has met its initial projection of restoring service to at least 90% of customers by 12:40 p.m. on Friday,' the statement continued. 'The LUMA Emergency Operations Center (LEOC) remains active, and teams continue to work quickly and safely to stabilize the system and restore service to the remaining customers.' LUMA said that even though their work is nearing completion, some customers may continue to experience temporary interruptions due to limited generation. Between 98% and 100% of hospitals in most regions have had their power restored along with most water and telecommunications systems and 100% of correctional institutions, said LUMA. 'The company continues to prioritize restoring critical infrastructure, including hospitals, water plants, airports, and emergency services,' LUMA said. The private power company, which is responsible for power transmission on the island, said the massive outage appears to have been caused by a combination of factors, including a "failure in the protection system as initial trigger" and vegetation on a transmission line between the areas of Campaleche and Manatí, along the northern coast of the island. This latest outage is the latest in a series of significant blackouts that have plagued the island in recent years, following the devastation of Hurricane Maria in 2017, which destroyed much of the power grid. In December, Puerto Rico experienced an island-wide blackout on New Year's Eve when an underground power line failure plunged the island into darkness for two days. Power outages have become so common in Puerto Rico that many residents have installed solar panels and batteries in their homes and businesses. The ongoing instability of the power grid has also led to protests, with many criticizing LUMA, which took over power transmission and distribution in 2021. ABC News' Ahmad Hemingway and Doc Louallen contributed to this report. Power restored to nearly all of Puerto Rico originally appeared on
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Nearly half of Puerto Rico still without power after island-wide blackout
Nearly half of Puerto Rico remained without electricity Thursday morning following an island-wide blackout that left 1.4 million customers in the dark and disrupted service at hospitals, its international airport and hotels, according to the Associated Press. The outage, which began Wednesday afternoon, also left more than 400,000 residents without water. By Thursday morning, power had been restored to 51% of customers, while water service resumed for 83% of the affected population, the AP reported. The cause of the blackout remains under investigation as of Thursday. LUMA Energy, the private company responsible for power transmission on the island, said in a statement that the massive outage appears to have been caused by a combination of factors, including a "failure in the protection system as initial trigger" and vegetation on a transmission line along the island's northern coast. "This sequence of failures triggered a chain of events that resulted in an island-wide outage," LUMA said in the statement. MORE: Puerto Rico plunged into darkness again as island-wide blackout hits In a Wednesday X post, LUMA Energy said it could take two to three days to restore service to 90% of customers. It noted that the priority was restoring power to critical facilities like Centro Médico hospital in the capital San Juan. Earlier in the day, LUMA Energy said the Palo Seco plant, just outside San Juan, came back online around 3 p.m., "which represents a key step toward system recovery."Rep. Ritchie Torres criticized the ongoing power crisis in an Instagram post. "The three million American citizens of Puerto Rico have long been denied affordable and reliable electricity -- despite paying some of the highest utility rates in the United States," Torres said. "Access to dependable power -- a basic right most Americans take for granted -- remains out of reach for millions on the island. As we speak, more than 400,000 Puerto Ricans are without electricity in the wealthiest nation on Earth. That is a national disgrace." MORE: Puerto Rico's power grid is struggling 5 years after Hurricane Maria. Here's why. The blackout is the latest in a series of significant power disruptions that have plagued the island in recent years, following the devastation of Hurricane Maria in 2017, which destroyed much of the power grid. The island's aging power infrastructure has been a persistent source of frustration for residents, who face frequent outages and some of the highest electricity rates in the U.S. In December, Puerto Rico experienced an island-wide blackout on New Year's Eve when an underground power line failure plunged the island into darkness for two days. Power outages have become so common in Puerto Rico that many residents have installed solar panels and batteries in their homes and businesses. The ongoing instability of the power grid has also led to protests, with many criticizing LUMA, which took over power transmission and distribution in 2021. Nearly half of Puerto Rico still without power after island-wide blackout originally appeared on
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Power slowly returns to Puerto Rico after sudden islandwide blackout
Approximately 47% of customers in Puerto Rico have had their power restored after an islandwide outage Wednesday that affected 1.4 million. Power company LUMA said more than 689,000 customers have had power as of 8:45 a.m. Thursday. The blackout that hit around 12:40 p.m. Wednesday also left more than 300,000 people without water, snarled traffic and caused businesses to close, all during Holy Week. It was the second sweeping power outage to rock the island in less than four months, with the last one unfolding on New Year's Eve. Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González Colón said in a press conference Wednesday that she was told the outage was due to the transmission of power, not generators. She noted that every day that goes by without electricity, the island's economy loses $230 million. LUMA Energy stated in a statement Wednesday that the blackout was "caused by a combination of factors," including a protection system failure as the initial trigger, followed by the presence of vegetation on a transmission line between Cambalache and Manatí, according to the preliminary investigation. The company stated that service is estimated to be restored for 90% of customers within the next 48 hours. By Thursday morning, more than 224,000 customers, or about 17%, were temporarily without water service because of the outage, but 83% of customers had a normal supply of drinking water, Puerto Rico's Water and Sewer Authority said. "Our personnel are working tirelessly to restore service to affected areas as soon as possible, and we project that the percentage of supply customers will continue to increase as the power system regains its generation capacity," the agency said. This article was originally published on
NBC News
17-04-2025
- Business
- NBC News
Power slowly returns to Puerto Rico after sudden island-wide blackout
Approximately 47% of customers in Puerto Rico have had their power restored after a n i sland-wide outage on Wednesday that affected 1.4 million. Power company LUMA said over 689,000 customers have had power as of 8:45 a.m. Thursday. The blackout that hit around 12:40 p.m. on Wednesday also left over 300,000 people without water, snarled traffic and caused businesses to close all during Holy Week. It was the second sweeping power outage to rock the island in less than four months, with the last one unfolding on New Year's Eve. Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González Colón said in a Wednesday press conference that she was told the outage was due to the transmission of power, not generators. She noted that every day that goes by without electricity, the island's economy loses $230 million. LUMA Energy stated in a Wednesday statement that the blackout was "caused by a combination of factors," including a protection system failure as the initial trigger, followed by the presence of vegetation on a transmission line between Cambalache and Manatí, according to the preliminary investigation. The company stated that service is estimated to be restored for 90% of customers within the next 48 hours. By Thursday morning, over 224,000 customers, or about 17%, were temporarily without water service due to the outage, but 83% of customers had a normal supply of drinking water, Puerto Rico's Water and Sewer Authority said. "Our personnel are working tirelessly to restore service to affected areas as soon as possible, and we project that the percentage of supply customers will continue to increase as the power system regains its generation capacity," the agency said.
