Wiktor Wise
Puerto Rico has faced challenges in ensuring a stable supply of electricity to its residents, with a history of power outages and a reliance on fossil fuels. The island has been working towards modernizing its electrical grid and increasing the use of renewable energy sources, but progress has been slow. In April 2025, a massive blackout left all of Puerto Rico without power, affecting over 1.4 million customers and causing significant disruptions. As of April 17, 2025, power had been restored to about 58% of the island, with efforts ongoing to bring electricity back to the remaining areas. The US energy secretary, Chris Wright, has stated that the department is monitoring the situation and working to strengthen Puerto Rico's grid.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Electricity Generation Sources | Fossil fuel-fired power plants, renewable resources (solar, wind, hydropower, and biomass) |
| Primary Energy Source | Imported fossil fuels |
| Average Electricity Price | Higher than all but three U.S. states |
| Per Capita Petroleum Consumption | Half of the U.S. average |
| Per Capita Natural Gas Consumption | One-fourth of the U.S. average |
| Electricity Distributors | Luma Energy |
| Recent Major Blackout | April 2025 |
| Blackout Cause | Failure in the protection system and vegetation on a transmission line |
| Blackout Impact | Over 1.4 million customers without power, gridlock, fuel rush for generators, halted public transit |
| Power Restoration | 57.9% of customers as of Thursday afternoon |
| Renewable Energy Goals | 40% by 2025, 100% by 2050 |
| Rooftop Solar Capacity | 900 megawatts in December 2024 |
| Rooftop Solar Ranking | Fifth among U.S. states and territories per capita |
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What You'll Learn
Puerto Rico's power plants
In recent years, there have been efforts to improve the situation. In 2019, the Puerto Rico Energy Public Policy Act was passed, setting a goal of achieving 100% renewable energy by 2050. The government also unveiled plans for the Puerto Rico Ocean Technology Complex (PROtech), an ocean thermal energy conversion project. In 2020, PREPA's electricity transmission and distribution system was transferred to LUMA Energy, a private entity tasked with improving grid reliability and reducing power interruptions. However, as of 2025, Puerto Rico continues to experience island-wide blackouts, with all its power plants failing on one occasion in April 2025, leading to widespread disruption.
The majority of Puerto Rico's electricity is generated by fossil fuel-fired power plants, with petroleum products and natural gas being the primary sources. In 2024, fossil fuels accounted for 93% of the island's electricity generation, with petroleum contributing 62% and natural gas 24%. The remaining sources were coal at 8% and renewables at 7%. Puerto Rico has 20 hydroelectric generating units, most of which are over 70 years old, and 21 reservoirs producing hydroelectric energy. The island also has some renewable resources in the form of solar, wind, hydropower, and biomass, but these have yet to be fully developed.
While Puerto Rico has made strides towards improving its power infrastructure and increasing renewable energy sources, the challenges posed by ageing equipment, natural disasters, and financial constraints continue to impact the reliability of the island's power plants and electricity supply.
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Fossil fuel reliance
Puerto Rico has faced chronic power outages and blackouts in recent years, with Hurricane Maria in 2017 causing the electric grid to collapse and leaving some residents without power for almost a year. In January 2020, a 6.4-magnitude earthquake damaged the island's two largest power plants, leading to widespread outages and a higher reliance on petroleum. More recently, in April 2025, a massive blackout left over 1.4 million customers without power and caused gridlock and disruption across the island.
The island's heavy reliance on fossil fuels is a significant factor in its electricity woes. In 2024, fossil fuel power plants provided 93% of Puerto Rico's electricity—a figure that includes petroleum (at 62%), natural gas (at 24%), and coal (at 8%). This is in stark contrast to the 50 U.S. states, where less than 1% of electricity is generated from petroleum. Puerto Rico's per capita fossil fuel consumption is also notably lower than the U.S. average.
The territory has no proven reserves or production of fossil fuels, making it reliant on imports. Petroleum products, which arrive at the ports of San Juan, Ponce, Guayanilla, and Yabucoa, account for around three-fifths of the island's total energy consumption. This heavy reliance on petroleum means that electricity prices fluctuate with international petroleum prices, impacting residents and businesses.
While Puerto Rico has renewable energy resources in the form of solar, wind, hydropower, and biomass, the transition to renewables has been slow. A study on fossil fuel interests in Puerto Rico revealed that energy actors perceived obstruction by fossil fuel interests as shaping the island's energy transition. Despite this, there is a growing adoption of rooftop solar installations, with support from net metering programs and government incentives.
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Renewable energy sources
Puerto Rico has been heavily reliant on fossil fuels to meet its energy needs. However, the island has faced chronic power outages, including a massive blackout in April 2025, which left all of Puerto Rico without power. In 2017, Hurricanes Irma and Maria caused the country's electric grid to collapse, leaving some areas without power for nearly a year. These challenges have driven Puerto Rico to transition to renewable energy sources.
The island has set ambitious goals for adopting renewable energy, committing to meet 40% of its electricity needs from renewable sources by 2025, 60% by 2040, and 100% by 2050. To achieve these targets, Puerto Rico is exploring various renewable energy sources and technologies.
One of the most prominent renewable energy sources in Puerto Rico is solar energy. The island has a high potential for small-scale rooftop solar panel systems, and the territory offers incentives for residents to install rooftop solar systems. In 2023, solar photovoltaic (PV) installations accounted for 42% of the total renewable generation capacity. Additionally, Puerto Rico has seen the development of utility-scale solar PV projects, with a focus on integrating battery energy storage systems.
Wind energy is another crucial component of Puerto Rico's renewable energy strategy. The Punta Lima wind farm, with a capacity of 26 megawatts, resumed operations in 2024. The island is also exploring the potential of both land-based and offshore wind resources through comprehensive assessments and data collection.
Hydropower is also utilised in Puerto Rico, contributing 28% of the renewable generation capacity in 2023. The territory has 20 hydroelectric generating units, most of which are over 70 years old and are located on reservoirs that supply drinking and irrigation water.
Other renewable sources, such as biomass and landfill gas-fueled facilities, contribute to Puerto Rico's energy mix. The Commonwealth is committed to exploring and investing in renewable energy technologies, system upgrades, and distributed generation to achieve its goal of 100% renewable energy by 2050.
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Power outages
Puerto Rico has faced several power outages in recent years, including a massive blackout in April 2025, which left the entire island without power. This outage was caused by a failure in the protection system and the presence of vegetation on a transmission line. As of Thursday, April 17, 2025, more than half of Puerto Rico had power restored, according to the government.
The island has a history of power outages, with a New Year's Eve blackout in 2024 that lasted two days and left almost the entire island without electricity. In 2017, Hurricanes Irma and Maria caused the country's electric grid to collapse, resulting in one of the longest blackouts in US history. Some residents were left without power for nearly a year, and the power grid issues have continued to plague the island since.
In response to these issues, the Puerto Rico legislature passed the Puerto Rico Energy Public Policy Act in 2019, setting a goal for the island to meet 100% of its electricity needs with renewable energy by 2050. The Act includes interim targets of 40% by 2025, 60% by 2040, and a phase-out of coal-fired generation by 2028. The US Department of Energy (DOE) has provided support and tools to help plan and operate the electric system more resiliently.
Despite these efforts, power outages continue to occur in Puerto Rico. Luma Energy, the island's electricity distributor, has faced criticism from residents for the frequent and prolonged outages. The company has invested in upgrades to the power grid and installed 23,000 utility poles to strengthen it against storms. However, there is still progress to be made in modernizing the grid and reducing outages.
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Electricity costs
Puerto Rico has a higher average electricity price than all but three U.S. states. The island's electricity is primarily generated by fossil fuel-fired power plants, with petroleum products accounting for about three-fifths of its total energy consumption. The territory's per capita petroleum and natural gas consumption is about half and one-fourth, respectively, of the U.S. average.
In July 2024, Puerto Rico's Energy Bureau approved a 4.6% increase in electricity rates, impacting around 3.2 million people who already struggle with frequent power outages. The new rate for clients consuming 800 kilowatt hours is 23.77 cents per kWh, a 41% increase compared to the average U.S. electricity rate of 16.88 cents per kWh. This rate hike is attributed to higher fuel costs and the deteriorating electrical grid, which has been plagued by a lack of maintenance following Hurricane Maria in 2017.
The island's power authority, Luma Energy, has faced criticism for its expenses, including "exorbitant" employee salaries. Luma Energy, a private company that took over from the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority in 2021, has been working to improve the grid and reduce power interruptions. However, the territory continues to experience power outages, with a recent blackout in December 2024 leaving over 1.2 million people without electricity.
Puerto Rico has experienced chronic power issues, including a New Year's Eve blackout that left almost the entire island without electricity. In 2017, Hurricanes Irma and Maria caused the electric grid to collapse, resulting in prolonged power outages for some residents. The Puerto Rico Energy Public Policy Act of 2019 aims to address these electricity woes by 2050, but progress has been slow.
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Frequently asked questions
No, Puerto Rico has been suffering from power outages and blackouts since 2017 when Hurricanes Irma and Maria damaged its power grid. In April 2025, an island-wide blackout left all of Puerto Rico without power.
The power outages in Puerto Rico were caused by issues with the power grid, which was severely damaged by Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017. The island has also experienced blackouts due to problems with underground cables.
Puerto Rico has faced chronic power outages and blackouts that have grown more frequent and longer in duration. In addition to the 2017 hurricanes and the 2025 island-wide blackout, there was also a days-long blackout on New Year's Eve in 2024.
The Puerto Rico Energy Public Policy Act was passed in 2019, setting a goal for the island to meet 100% of its electricity needs with renewable energy by 2050. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has provided tools, training, and modeling support to help plan and operate the electric system more resiliently. Private companies, such as Luma Energy and Genera PR, have also been working to manage and improve the power grid.
