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☆ Opinion | Puerto Rico Will Not Go Quietly Into the Dark
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-23 | by ( Yarimar Bonilla | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In 2020 the Puerto Rican government transferred management of the electric grid to a newly minted Canadian-American private company, Luma Energy. It promised to bring clean, reliable energy to Puerto Rico after the state-owned Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority filed for bankruptcy and Hurricane Maria knocked out the island’s ailing electric grid. So why is it that four years later, my mom is still cursing in the dark? Puerto Rico’s power crisis illustrates the consequences of putting essential services in the hands of a private entity. Puerto Ricans deserve a power grid that works for them, not against them.

Persons: Hurricane Maria Organizations: Puerto, Luma, Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, Hurricane, Puerto Ricans, Puerto Rico Locations: San Juan, P.R, Puerto Rican, American, Puerto Rico, Puerto

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — A new private company will take over power generation units owned by the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, the public corporation currently in charge of generating energy on the U.S. territory. The power generation equipment in Puerto Rico, plagued by ongoing blackouts and decaying infrastructure, is on average about 45 years old — twice the age of those on the U.S. mainland. The company and the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) are currently undergoing a transition process set to last 100 days. Officials in Puerto Rico have been taking steps toward privatizing power generation for some time. Power customers in Puerto Rico have seen seven electric rate increases last year, even though people in Puerto Rico already pay about twice as much as mainland U.S. customers for unreliable service.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The governing board of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, the public corporation currently in charge of energy generation on the island, approved a contract that brings the U.S. territory one step closer to privatizing power generation. Less than 4% of Puerto Rico’s power generation currently comes from renewable energy. Power generation units in Puerto Rico are on average about 45 years old, twice those of the U.S. mainland. As part of the ongoing privatization process, the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority relinquished the island’s power transmission and distribution system to Luma Energy. It’s unclear whether privatizing power generation would have any impact on such efforts.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The government of Puerto Rico is a step closer to privatizing power generation on the island despite widespread skepticism among consumers, who crave a reliable source of electricity after decades of random power outages. The contract needs to be approved by the governing board of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority and signed by Gov. Power generation units in Puerto Rico are on average about 45 years old, twice those of the U.S. mainland. The system was previously managed by the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority. The privatization process follows ongoing issues around Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority's bankruptcy.

Luma Energy secured an extension on its temporary contract Wednesday following a 4-1 vote by the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority’s board. Government officials promised Luma Energy and the partial privatization of the power grid would improve electric services. On other occasions, Luma Energy blamed outages on bad weather and sargassum, a type of seaweed. Still unresolved is the bankruptcy proceeding for the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, which owes nearly $9 billion, the largest debt of any government agency. As soon as a federal judge approves a debt restructuring plan for the power authority, Luma Energy's contract will become permanent for 15 years.

☆ Five years after Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico's power grid is still costly and unreliable
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( Fred Imbert | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The state of Puerto Rico's power grid has been a sore spot for many island businesses and residents, leading to backlash against Luma Energy — the company brought in to operate and improve the grid after Hurricane Maria. Many businesses were forced to shut down for weeks after Hurricane Fiona hit. Luma Energy officially took over control of the island's power grid in June 2021 for the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, or PREPA. In July, about two months before Hurricane Fiona hit Puerto Rico, hundreds of residents marched to Gov. The company also said Oct. 10 that power had been restored to 99% of clients affected by Hurricane Fiona.

☆ Some 349,000 still without power in Puerto Rico after Fiona
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, Sept 28 (Reuters) - An estimated 349,000 homes and businesses were still without power in Puerto Rico on Wednesday after Hurricane Fiona hit on Sept. 18, causing an island-wide power outage for its 3.3 million people. After hitting Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, Hurricane Fiona turned north and slammed into eastern Canada on Sept. 24, leaving over a third of Nova Scotia without power. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterFiona hit Puerto Rico about five years after Hurricane Maria knocked out all power on the island. At that time the now bankrupt Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) was still operating the grid. Puerto Rico is restoring power to homes more quickly in the wake of Hurricane Fiona than after Hurricane Maria five years ago, when it took months before the island fully recovered.

☆ Puerto Rican municipal workers pitch in as power outages persist
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( Ivelisse Rivera | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Cars drive under a downed power pole in the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona in Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico September 21, 2022. She pointed to hurdles such as storm-damaged roads and factors beyond LUMA's control, such as the generation capacity of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA). POWER CRUNCHThe widespread outages have led to a cascade of energy problems for Puerto Rico. Health officials in Puerto Rico attributed 12 deaths to the storm in Puerto Rico. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Ivelisse Rivera in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

☆ Some 928,000 still without power in Puerto Rico after Fiona
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Cars drive under a downed power pole in the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona in Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico September 21, 2022. Fiona hit Puerto Rico on Sunday, five years after Hurricane Maria knocked out all power on the island. There were roughly 1.033 million customers without power early Thursday out of 1.468 million total customers, according to Poweroutages.com. At that time the now bankrupt Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) was still operating the grid. Maria hit Puerto Rico in 2017 as a Category 4 hurricane with winds of 155 mph, while Fiona hit as a Category 1 storm with winds of 85 mph.

People walk on a street affected by the passing of Hurricane Fiona in Penuelas, Puerto Rico September 19, 2022. Baxter, which makes small bags for intravenous medication, clinical nutrition products and inhaled anesthetics in Puerto Rico, said its facilities have "sustained little to no damage" from the storm. The company took a $70 million revenue hit after Hurricane Maria in 2017, spurring it to diversify manufacturing of key products. Drugmakers with plants in Puerto Rico said they have been able to keep up production and supplies as well. Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) said operations were restored at all its sites in Puerto Rico by Wednesday.

☆ One million still without power in Puerto Rico after Fiona
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterCars drive under a downed power pole in the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona in Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico September 21, 2022. REUTERS/Ricardo Arduengo/File PhotoNEW YORK, Sept 22 (Reuters) - An estimated 1 million homes and businesses remain without power in Puerto Rico Thursday morning after Hurricane Fiona hit on Sunday, causing an island-wide power outage for its roughly 3.3 million people. There were roughly 1.168 million without power early Wednesday out of 1.468 million total customers, according to Poweroutages.com. That pace of restoration is much faster than after Maria when almost all 1.5 million customers had no power for a week when the now bankrupt Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) was still operating the grid. Maria hit Puerto Rico as a Category 4 hurricane with winds of 155 mph, while Fiona hit as a Category 1 storm with winds of 85 mph.

☆ Some 1.3 million customers without power in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Fiona
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Ricardo RojasNEW YORK, Sept 20 (Reuters) - An estimated 1.3 million homes and businesses remain without power in Puerto Rico Tuesday morning after Hurricane Fiona slammed into the island on Sunday, causing an island-wide power outage for its 3.3 million people. After hitting Puerto Rico, Hurricane Fiona slammed into the Dominican Republic and was currently churning north toward the Turks and Caicos. read moreRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterFiona hit Puerto Rico five years after Hurricane Maria knocked out all power on the island in 2017. Poweroutages.com said there were 1.468 million power customers in Puerto Rico. PREPA, which operated the island's power grid when Hurricane Maria hit, still owns much of Puerto Rico's power infrastructure.

For Quiñones and other Puerto Ricans, the continuing fragility of Puerto Rico's power grid five years later is a constant source of concern in a region that expects the possibility of hurricanes every fall. “Five years later, we are still exposed to the same risk,” Marxuach, who recently completed an analysis on the state of Puerto Rico’s electric power system, said. On Sunday afternoon, an islandwide blackout was reported as the eye of Fiona neared Puerto Rico's southwestern coast. Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico on Sept. 20, 2017. In the meantime, residents were getting ready for another tropical storm, albeit one less destructive than Hurricane Maria.

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