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The World Socialist Web Site reports
The entire US territory of Puerto Rico suffered a blackout beginning [September 21] after a fire caused a substation to break down. The plant had not been repaired in decades and the cause of the fire is unclear, although a lightning storm is thought to be responsible.
Puerto Rico Governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla told reporters Friday morning [September 23] that 75 percent of the island's 1.5 million homes and businesses had electricity restored, and that the entire system would be returned to normal only by Saturday, 72 hours after the power went out. During the press conference at the island's emergency management center, the lights went out briefly prompting laughter from the assembled reporters. Padilla was forced to admit that periodic blackouts and shortages would still occur as the demand for electricity increases.
The blackout shut down the entire island of 3.5 million people.
[...] Authorities warned that tropical storms could still knock out power lines and black out areas that had power restored. An estimated 250,000 people don't have access to water.
Temperatures were recorded at 100 degrees Fahrenheit on Friday, causing many Puerto Ricans to sleep outdoors for the third night in a row. Residents formed long lines outside of grocery stores to get ice, a precious commodity, and recharge their cell phones.
Hotels in the capital San Juan offered special rates to island residents but were soon booked up. At least one person died from carbon monoxide poisoning after fixing up a personal power generator in their home. An elderly man was also taken to the hospital after spending the night in a stuck elevator, and at least four police officer were hit by cars while trying to direct traffic; they are all expected to recover.
While local power outages are common in Puerto Rico, an island-wide blackout is extremely rare.
[...] The Electric Power Authority, which oversees the Aguirre power plant in the southern town of Salinas, is still investigating what caused the fire. Two transmission lines were knocked down, causing circuit breakers to automatically shut down as a safety measure, affecting the broader power grid.
Additional Coverage:
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(Score: 4, Interesting) by frojack on Sunday September 25 2016, @08:24PM
I think Puerto Rico is getting a pretty raw deal out of its current "commonwealth" status with the US.
All the taxes and very little of the benefit.
You would think it would be a vacation paradise, and have hundreds of millions pouring in from tourists, and
first class infrastructure like Hawaii.
Part of this is self induced. They've turned down statehood referendums at least twice (some would say wisely), with political groups seeking independence, and a general preference to maintain their laid back lifestyle.
The US, for its part, is reluctant to pour mountains of money into the Island because of the ever present political push for total independence. The island has several deep water ports that could support naval bases, but all the military infrastructure the island really has is one small dilapidated army base with virtually no equipment. Neither the US nor the local government is interested in maintaining much of a military presence for fear triggering a guerrilla movement in the hinterlands.
All of this leads to the kids desire to get the hell off the island as soon as they can (they have US citizenship), and the tax base is hard pressed, even with US funds, to supply enough income to support infrastructure. Only 20% are proficient in English, and those that do leave find themselves disadvantaged in the US job market. There is no real interest on the part of the government to attract much in the way of a tourist industry, and the island can not support itself agriculturally. There is so little going on there that even Google can't be bothered to send a street view car.
The whole arrangement is a political and military lash-up that suffers from its own history.
They need to shit or get off the pot.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 26 2016, @04:10PM
I was about to retort that you were completely wrong about taxes, but I did a bit of research... and you are semi-right?
"Though the Commonwealth government has its own tax laws, Puerto Ricans are also required to pay most US federal taxes, with the major exception being that most residents do not have to pay the federal personal income tax." [wikipedia.org]
I'll note that personal income tax is fairly substantial (or at least visible) for people, but I'll also grant that it's not everything.
I had always been told that as a non-state, Puerto Rico residents were not full citizens (they effectively have all the rights but only some of the responsibilities), and that they paid no federal taxes. However, it seems this is not true.
As it seems like you know more about the situation, can you explain exactly what taxes they pay, and how else they differ from main-land citizens?
They've turned down statehood referendums at least twice (some would say wisely)
It's hard for me too have too much sympathy for Puerto Ricians as a whole, then. Individual ones I do feel bad for (especially if they voted to change their circumstances but were out-voted), but as a whole it seems very much a "you made your bed" type thing. (As you noted.)
Neither the US nor the local government is interested in maintaining much of a military presence for fear triggering a guerrilla movement in the hinterlands.
Wait, what? Why would there be a guerrilla movement? Is there a groundswell "yankee, go home" feeling there?