On Sept. 18, nearly five years to the day of Hurricane Maria, the force of Hurricane Fiona and a fragile power grid plunged Puerto Rico into a frightening yet familiar darkness. From low-lying to mountainous regions, flooding and landslides battered vulnerable communities, and with it, resurfaced painful memories of Hurricane Maria.
More than a week after Hurricane Fiona made landfall, approximately 400,000 residences are without electricity. This was not unexpected. Public confidence in Puerto Rico’s power grid is so low that residents braced for a blackout even before this latest disaster.
In 2021, Puerto Rico’s public grid, Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, was privatized and contracted out to Luma Energy, a U.S-Canadian energy company. Privatization was pitched to the public as the best option for a more reliable service.
