{"id":544,"date":"2026-08-03T16:32:50","date_gmt":"2026-08-03T16:32:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thirstier.news\/?p=544"},"modified":"2026-08-03T16:32:50","modified_gmt":"2026-08-03T16:32:50","slug":"el-apagon-the-blackout-puerto-ricos-continuing-struggle-for-stable-electricity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thirstier.news\/?p=544","title":{"rendered":"El Apag\u00f3n\u2014The Blackout. Puerto Rico\u2019s Continuing Struggle for Stable Electricity"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In 2017, Puerto Rico experienced the longest blackout in U.S. history\u201411 months\u2014after two hurricanes knocked out its power grid. Almost a decade later, millions of Puerto Ricans continue to experience rolling blackouts and other uncertainties as the island struggles to stabilize the grid. This ongoing issue has drawn national attention and was most recently highlighted during Puerto Rico-native Bad Bunny\u2019s 2026 Super Bowl Halftime show.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Today\u2019s WatchBlog post looks at our new report<\/a> on federal efforts to support grid recovery and modernization, as well as factors that have hindered progress.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Hurricane Maria Damaged Power Lines in Puerto Rico in November 2017<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Billions of dollars available, but limited progress made<\/h2>\n
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Puerto Rico has experienced additional natural disasters since 2017, including earthquakes and another hurricane in 2022. These events have added to disruptions in electricity grid recovery efforts. Meanwhile, power outages have gotten worse in recent years, including a total blackout in 2025 that lasted for 2 days.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A lot of money has been dedicated to repairing the grid. But not much of it has actually been used. For example, of the roughly $14 billion that federal agencies obligated to support grid recovery in the last decade, only about 25% has actually been disbursed. This means that $10 billion in assistance remains unused.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Federal Funding for Puerto Rico Grid Recovery and Modernization (in billions)<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n

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With the funding that has been disbursed, Puerto Rico has made limited progress in key areas of grid stabilization. For example, only 9 of 258 large, FEMA-funded projects were completed by the end of 2025. Generally, these projects fell under three categories:\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Generation and storage<\/strong> projects include repairing existing power plants, using mobile generators as backups, and funding renewable energy hubs in vulnerable communities.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Transmission and distribution<\/strong> projects include clearing vegetation that may interfere with powerlines, repairing and hardening substations, and repairing key power transmission lines.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Operations and other infrastructure <\/strong>projects include upgrading the obsolete management system and control center used to monitor grid operations. These projects also include deploying automated technologies that can help isolate power outages and provide quick restoration of electricity services.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Monacillos Primary Control Center in San Juan, Puerto Rico, February 2025\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Why aren\u2019t there more projects underway when funding is available and the grid still needs more work? We visited Puerto Rico to find out.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Roadblocks to recovery\u00a0<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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We interviewed federal and local officials, as well as utility operators from LUMA Energy\u2014the contractor that operates and maintains Puerto Rico\u2019s transmission and distribution system on behalf of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, also known as PREPA. These stakeholders identified five major roadblocks that have hindered grid recovery:\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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