LUMA Energy announced that it has successfully restored power to 1.4 million customers, or 99% of its service area, following a major blackout that struck Puerto Rico early on New Year’s Eve.
The outage, which began at 5:30 a.m. on December 31, 2024, left many customers without electricity. While significant progress has been made in restoring power, LUMA has warned of a potential generation shortage starting at noon today. Due to the island’s network vulnerabilities, the company explained that it may need to implement temporary rotational power cuts to manage available generation and customer demand.
LUMA Energy emphasized that it is in constant communication with its generator partners to ensure continued power supply as additional capacity becomes available. The company also stated that it will keep local mayors updated throughout the restoration process.
Governor-elect Jenniffer González Colón, who is scheduled to take office on Thursday, has cautioned that customers may face power interruptions in the coming days as power plants are not yet operating at full capacity.
“These days, I urge you to be moderate with your energy consumption to help reduce load shifting, so that more people can have access to electricity and the system can start up without any major setbacks,” González Colón said on social media platform X.
Acknowledging the significant inconvenience caused by the blackout, particularly during the holiday season, LUMA offered a heartfelt apology for the impact on residents and their families. Additionally, LUMA urged customers to use generators safely and to place them in well-ventilated areas to prevent potential accidents or injuries.
Puerto Rico continues to face ongoing power outages, which are attributed to a deteriorating power grid that was severely damaged by Hurricane Maria, a Category 4 storm that struck the island in September 2017. The grid was already in a state of decline before the hurricane, due to years of inadequate maintenance and a lack of investment in infrastructure.
