Puerto Rico energy crisis causes widespread outages

Puerto Rico is facing a critical energy crisis characterized by widespread power outages and frequent load shedding. LUMA Energy, the company responsible for transmission and distribution, reported that over 150,000 customers lost electricity due to insufficient power generation. The company stated that its available capacity of 2,495 MW fell short of a projected demand of 2,950 MW.

The shortage was exacerbated by technical failures at several generation plants. GeneraPR reported a steam leak at the Costa Sur Power Plant Unit 6, forcing it offline, while Unit 5 also faced issues with a water feed control valve. Additionally, AES Puerto Rico confirmed that its Unit 1 was taken out of service for technical reasons.

LUMA Energy defended its actions against accusations from Governor Jenniffer González Colón and Energy Czar Josué Colón Ortiz, who suggested the outages at major shopping centers were intentional or poorly managed. LUMA attributed the instability to decades of mismanagement and lack of investment in the electrical system. Meanwhile, former AEE Executive Director Héctor Rosario Hernández attributed the ongoing crisis to economic profit motives, noting that a significant portion of LUMA’s budget is allocated to salaries rather than infrastructure.