Puerto Rico suffered the latest in a string of widespread power outages Tuesday that has left 1.3 million customers, some 80% of the entire island, in the dark.
More than 1 million energy customers were without power across the U.S. territory since 5:30 a.m. due to an infrastructure problem at a power plant on the island's southern coast, energy company LUMA said in an update on X.
Puerto Rico’s incoming governor, Jenniffer González, said on social media that the island “can’t keep relying on an energy system that fails our people. Today’s blackout and the uncertainty around restoration continue to impact our economy and quality of life.”
González said that stabilizing Puerto Rico’s electrical grid will be her top priority as governor.
The Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport said it was working on electricity generators but that flights were operating normally.
Puerto Rico’s electrical system had already been in decline when Category 4 Hurricane Maria devastated the island in 2017 and its power grid. The island continues to be beset by power outages as the fragile electric grid has not been permanently rebuilt since the storm razed it.
Power outages are a frustratingly frequent occurrence for many Puerto Ricans. A string of blackouts during the summer sparked protests and prompted San Juan Mayor Miguel Romero to declare a state of emergency.
Those protests led to the U.S.-owned Genera PR taking over management of previously state-owned power stations, which are on average 45 years old — twice the age of equivalent facilities on the U.S. mainland — and highly reliant on fossil fuels.
More than 700,000 customers were without power in Puerto Rico in August when Tropical Storm Ernesto hit the island.
A significant power outage has struck Greenland, primarily affecting the capital city of Nuuk. The blackout began around 9:40 AM local time on December 28, 2024. Efforts are underway to determine the cause and restore electricity as quickly as possible. The current temperature in Nuuk is below -27 degrees Fahrenheit, making the situation particularly dire for residents.The extreme cold has compounded the urgency of restoring power, with many residents facing harsh conditions without heating. According to local reports, the blackout has affected not only homes but also critical infrastructure, including hospitals and emergency services, which are now operating on backup generators.
The Greenlandic government has issued an emergency statement urging citizens to conserve energy where possible and to seek warmth in community centers where facilities are available. International aid might be necessary if the situation prolongs, especially given the geographical isolation of Greenland.
This incident highlights the vulnerability of Greenland’s power grid, especially during the harsh Arctic winters. Greenland’s reliance on a few key power generation facilities means that when one fails, the impact can be widespread. The government has promised a thorough investigation into the cause of the outage, with preliminary reports suggesting it could be due to technical failures exacerbated by the cold weather.
