Puerto Rico Plunges Into Nationwide Blackout, Internet Connectivity Disrupted

A massive blackout struck nearly all of Puerto Rico early Tuesday, leaving over 1.2 million customers without power just hours before New Year’s Eve celebrations. The outage also disrupted internet services (not for those with backup power and Starlink) and was not caused by a hurricane or storm. Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe’s recent controversial remark about the US territory as a “floating island of garbage” comes to mind. Still, perhaps the real issue lies in the corruption and greed of local politicians and power companies. 

Luma Energy, a private company that manages the island’s power grid, said the outage began around 0530 local time, leaving 1.2 million out of 1.47 million customers in the dark. Luma said restoring electricity in some regions could take 24 to 48 hours. 

Major blackout in Puerto Rico on New Year’s Eve leaves the island (over 1.4 million clients) without power.

The electric grid is trash. No hurricane, no storm, just shady bureaucrats that are doing nothing but filling their pockets while people suffer.

Trump was right. pic.twitter.com/ptYb7mBBnb

— Melvin Soto-Vázquez (@realMelvinSoto) December 31, 2024

Josue Colon, director of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, told local media WKAQ Radio that the blackout was considered a “major event.” 

The net is also down. This is not the case for those with backup power generation and Starlink.

Confirmed: Network data show a significant decline in internet connectivity across Puerto Rico as the island experiences a widespread power outage, leaving residents worried about spending New Year’s Eve in the dark pic.twitter.com/dxtYTKdEPf

— NetBlocks (@netblocks) December 31, 2024

Luma Energy did not provide the cause of the widespread blackout or when power would be restored. 

Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi wrote on X:

“We are in communication with LUMA and Genera, as well as with the AEE team regarding the massive blackout affecting a large part of the Island due to a critical fault. We can report that work is already underway to restore service with the San Juan and Palo Seco plants. We are demanding answers and solutions from both LUMA and Genera, who must expedite the restart of the generating units outside the fault area and keep the people duly informed about the measures they are taking to restore service throughout the Island.”

At Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally in late October, Hinchcliffe said: “There’s a lot going on. I don’t know if you know this but there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico.”

“There’s a lot going on. I don’t know if you know this but there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico” pic.twitter.com/IXbXqDijyU

— Acyn (@Acyn) October 27, 2024

“General blackout in Puerto Rico as incompetent companies New Fortress & Quanta ( $NFE & $PWR ) can’t keep the power on muniland. President Trump needs to take control of PR so the citizens can have a basic level of subsistence. ~~ “The Genera PR portal shows that the Costa Sur, Palo Seco and Central San Juan units went out of service. Jaramillo recalled that the Aguirre Thermoelectric Plant was already out of service before today, so only AES Puerto Rico and Ecoeléctrica [private generation operators] remain in operation. The backup units are also off,” bond expert Cate Long wrote on X. 

What a way to end the year, Puerto Rico…