Power Blackout

Power firms in Puerto Rico under scrutiny as officials demand fewer outages

Two private power companies came under scrutiny Wednesday while they presented plans to stabilize Puerto Rico's crumbling electric grid as officials demanded immediate action to minimize chronic power outages. The presentations by Genera PR, which operates the generation of power in the U.S. territory, and Luma Energy, which handles transmission and distribution, lasted more than five hours as they answered questions by Puerto Rico's Energy Bureau and others. The bureau had ordered both companies in June to produce aggressive plans to improve the island's electric system, which was razed by Hurricane Maria in 2017 but was already failing prior to the Category 4 storm given a lack of maintenance and investment under Puerto Rico's Electric Power Authority. We continue to see a high rate of critical failures, said Daniel Haughton, Luma's planning director. The ongoing outages come as crews make permanent repairs to the grid following Hurricane Maria, which caused an estimated $9.7 ...

Puerto Rico's power firm suspends $65 mn worth of maintenance projects

The private operator of Puerto Rico's power grid confirmed Monday the deferral of $65 million worth of maintenance and improvement projects in the U.S. territory, with some repairs postponed for at least a year because of budget constraints, putting at risk the already troubled grid and sparking a widespread outcry. Some of the deferred projects include maintenance of more than 100,000 light posts, fire mitigation and repairs on underground circuits, among other improvements. Luma Energy's head of regulatory affairs, Mario Hurtado, told The Associated Press on Monday that the suspended projects, which he aims to bring back next year, risk more outages across the island. The risk is always that there will be more failures in terms of public lighting, Hurtado said. At a budget hearing on Friday, Hurtado said Luma Energy prioritized other tasks based on professional judgment, which they consider calculated risks. The lack of fire mitigation puts the grid at risk as hotter temperature

Outage in Ecuador leaves millions in dark after transmission line fails

A failure in an energy transmission line on Wednesday produced an unexpected blackout throughout Ecuador, the government said, days after announcing that there would be power outages in the country due to production problems. Ecuador's Minister of Energy Roberto Luque said in a message posted on X, formerly Twitter, that the failure was reported by the country's National Electricity Operator and caused "a cascade disconnection", leaving the nation without energy service. He added that efforts are being made to solve the problem and repair faulty power lines as soon as possible. In some sectors of the country the outage lasted 20 minutes, but media outlets and social media users reported that the problem continued in most cities. Emilia Cevallos, a waitress in a restaurant north of the capital, Quito, said the blackout was surprising. "We thought it was only in this sector, but when we left we realised that while some stores had connected generators, the majority did not have ...

Russian attacks on Ukraine's power grid touch Kyiv with blackouts

Sustained Russian attacks on Ukraine's power grid in recent weeks have forced leaders of the war-ravaged country to institute nationwide rolling blackouts. Without adequate air defences to counter assaults and allow for repairs, though, the shortages could still worsen as need spikes in late summer and the bitter-cold winter. The Russian airstrikes targeting the grid since March have meant blackouts have even returned to the capital, Kyiv, which hadn't experienced them since the first year of the war. Among the strikes were an April barrage that damaged Kyiv's largest thermal power plant and a massive attack on May 8 that targeted power generation and transmission facilities in several regions. In all, half of Ukraine's energy system was damaged, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said. Entire apartment blocks in the capital went dark. The city's military administration said at least 10 per cent of consumers were disconnected. For many, it is a taste of what might be in store if Ukrai

Ship that caused Baltimore bridge collapse had blackout hrs before leaving

Investigators probing the March collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore said in a preliminary report on Tuesday the cargo ship Dali experienced an electrical blackout about 10 hours before leaving the Port of Baltimore while undergoing maintenance. The power outage was caused by a crewmember mistakenly closing an exhaust damper, causing the ship's engine to stall, the report issued by the National Transportation Safety Board said. The ship lost power again and crashed into one of the bridge's supporting columns shortly after leaving the port on March 26, which brought the bridge down in seconds. A full investigation could take a year or more, the agency said. The board launched its investigation almost immediately after the March 26 collapse, which sent six members of a roadwork crew plunging to their deaths. Investigators boarded the ship to document the scene and collect evidence, including the vessel's data recorder and information from its engine room, according

India extends coal import mandate to power plants to avoid blackouts

The decision comes amid surging electricity demand, partly a result of deficient rainfall that's forcing farmers to run irrigation pumps to water their fields, Agarwal said

Massive solar flare triggers radio blackouts in the US and Pacific

The current solar cycle has witnessed higher activity than was previously expected by scientists

18 dead as strong winter storm brings rain, snow, cold waves across US

A frigid winter storm killed at least 18 people as it swept across the country, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses and leaving millions of people on edge about the possibility of Christmas Eve blackouts. The storm unleashed its full fury on Buffalo, New York, with hurricane-force winds causing whiteout conditions. Emergency response efforts were paralysed and the city's international airport was shut down. Across the U.S., officials have attributed deaths to exposure, car crashes, a falling tree limb and other effects of the storm. At least three people died in the Buffalo area, including two who suffered medical emergencies in their homes and couldn't be saved because emergency crews were unable to reach them amid historic blizzard conditions. Deep snow, single-digit temperatures and day-old power outages sent Buffalo residents scrambling Saturday to get out of their houses to anywhere that had heat. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said the Buffalo Niaga

17 people and a dog between Ukraine's neighbour and blackout: Report

Backed by a staff of 17, acting Energocom general director Victor Binzari and his two sidekicks have been scrambling to find new sources of power since mid-October

Europe's energy crunch will trigger years of shortages and blackouts

Energy security concerns in Europe are driving energy poverty in the emerging world," said Saul Kavonic, an energy analyst at Credit Suisse Group AG

JP Morgan plans to move work from Germany to UK over power blackout fears

JP Morgan has plans in place to move work from Germany to the United Kingdom amid fears of power blackouts years after moving billions of dollars worth of assets from London to Frankfurt due to Brexit

California to see blackouts with highest-ever demand amid brutal heat wave

California will face its highest chance of blackouts this year as a brutal heat wave continues to blanket the state with triple-digit heat, officials have warned. As people crank up their air conditioners, the state forecast record levels of energy use that could exceed supply Monday evening, said Elliot Mainzer, president of California Independent System Operators, which runs the state's electrical grid. The state could fall 2,000 to 4,000 megawatts of electricity short of its power supply, which represents as much as 10 per cent of normal demand, he said. State energy officials said the electrical load on Tuesday potentially could hit 51,000 watts, the highest demand ever seen in California. CAISO issued a Flex Alert call for voluntary conservation between 4 pm and 10 pm on Monday and for 4 pm to 10 pm Tuesday, making seven alerts in as many days. Consumers were urged to keep air conditioners at 78 degrees (25.5 degrees C) or higher during the period and avoiding using major ...

Ukrainian nuclear plant cut off from electrical grid due to fire damage

The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in the middle of the fighting in Ukraine was temporarily cut off from the electrical grid Thursday because of fire damage, causing a blackout in the region and heightening fears of a catastrophe in a country haunted by the Chernobyl disaster. The plant, Europe's largest, has been occupied by Russian forces since the early days of the war. The government in Kyiv alleges Russia is essentially holding the plant hostage, storing weapons there and launching attacks from around it, while Moscow accuses Ukraine of recklessly firing on the facility. On Thursday, the plant was cut off from the grid for the first time after fires damaged a transmission line, according to Ukraine's nuclear power operator. The damaged line apparently carried outgoing electricity and thus the region lost power, according to Yevgeny Balitsky, the Russia-installed governor. As a result of the damage, the two reactors still in use went offline, he said, but one was quickly ..

UK industries and households brace for blackouts, gas shortage in January

Under the government's latest "reasonable worst-case scenario," Britain could face an electricity capacity shortfall totaling about a sixth of peak demand

8-hour blackouts hit India; hottest March points to 'looming power crisis'

A surge in demand for electricity has prompted states including Punjab and Uttar Pradesh in the north and Andhra Pradesh in the south to cut off supply

India risks widespread blackouts this summer: Here's why

Since the middle of March, the grid has routinely reported maximum loads above 195,000 MW, including a peak of 199,584 MW on April 8 - less than 0.5% below the record

Kabul faces blackout as Taliban falters on electricity bills payment

Ahead of the harsh winter season in Afghanistan, the country's capital city Kabul could dive into darkness due to non-payment of dues of Central Asian electricity suppliers by new Taliban rulers

Why world's power grids are increasingly vulnerable to cyber attacks

"India's power system is in urgent need of proper cybersecurity systems," said Reji Kumar Pillai, president of India Smart Grid Forum

China appears to warn India: Push too hard and the lights could go out

As border skirmishing increased last year, malware began to flow into the Indian electric grid, a new study shows, and a blackout hit Mumbai. It now looks like a warning

Texas lawmakers look to lay blame for deadly blackout, investigation on

"Who's at fault?" State Representative Todd Hunter demanded of utility executives. "I want to hear who's at fault. I want the public to know who screwed up"