Lawmakers and business owners in Puerto Rico urge federal action as prolonged outages lead to significant economic and emotional tolls.
Puerto Ricans are grappling with the economic and personal impacts of recurrent power outages that have left hundreds of thousands without electricity across the island since early June. Small-business owners are particularly affected, facing mounting costs for generators and repairs to damaged electronics. In San Juan, the capital, some businesses were without power for nine consecutive days, while homes also experienced voltage fluctuations, ruining appliances and spoiling food and medicine.
Rep. Nydia Velázquez, the first Puerto Rican woman elected to Congress, has requested the U.S. Department of Energy help track the economic losses from these outages. She wrote to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, asking for Puerto Rico to be included in the Department’s Interruption Cost Estimate Calculator system. This tool would assist in measuring outage durations and their economic effects, potentially aiding in compensation efforts.
The power outages have renewed calls for the removal of private companies like Luma Energy, which took over power distribution in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria in 2017. Despite promises of improvements, the privatization of the power grid has resulted in more frequent and prolonged outages in recent years. Luma Energy, which blamed overgrown vegetation for recent power failures, has faced criticism for not addressing grid maintenance adequately.
In response, the Puerto Rico Energy Bureau has ordered Luma Energy and Genera PR to submit a stabilization plan for the electrical grid within 20 days. Additionally, the bureau is investigating a transformer failure that left thousands without power in early June, with repairs expected to take more than a month due to logistical challenges.
As frustrations mount, Velázquez emphasized the urgent need for immediate compensation and accountability for the failures of the private operators, whose inadequate service continues to take a physical, emotional, and economic toll on the island’s residents.