About 760,000 of consumers of public utilities of the island received electricity restoredterritory power The network operator said on Friday evening.
About 740,000 remain homes and business without power in the shutdown that closed schools for two days and caused other breaks for Puerto Rico has a population of 3.2 million.
“We hope to have 1 million customers at some point tonight. back online. It’s subject to safety — for in system, for employees and for in community,” Kevin Acevedo, Vice President of LUMA Energy, operator of Puerto Rico power The network operator told reporters in San Juan.
The company cannot commit to tell when other customers will see power return according to announcement on This website.
unspecified failure Led to fire at the Costa Sur plant outside city of Guayanilla on southwest coast around 20:45 on Wednesday, cutting power all over the island, Acevedo said. Firefighters have since extinguished the flames.
All clients on island lost power originally Josue Colon, Puerto Rico lead a telecommunications and infrastructure engineer, told reporters on Thursday, “because all the power units have been shut down.”
“Each individual (piece of) equipment (at the switchgear of the plant) must be checked and tested in order to sure what when it back in service, we can restore power for customers safely and securely,” Shai Bahramirad, LUMA Energy senior vice president of engineering and asset leadership, told reporters in San Juan on Friday.
By Thursday afternoon, all hospitals were operational, regardless of power was restored or were they operating via generator, according to the secretary of Interior Noelia Garcia Bardales.
Replacement power ordered plant parts, official says
Firefighters put out the flames that engulfed two substations at the plant, the Bureau reports. of The Fire Department of Puerto Rico announced this on Wednesday.
cause of in fire an investigation is underway, Acevedo said on Thursday morning, adding that equipment was up meet on maintenance inspections.
Clean-up work is underway at the plant, and spare parts have been identified and ordered, Acevedo said.
CNN’s Rafi Rivera, Stefano Pozzebon and Michelle Watson contributed to this report.
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