Outages increase as Puerto Rico company crumbles amid crisis
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Spoiled food. Damaged appliances. Shuttered businesses.
A recent increase in power outages is taking a heavy toll on Puerto Rico as the U.S. territory’s heavily indebted public power company struggles to modernize decades-old equipment that is crumbling amid a deep economic crisis.
The frequent loss of power, coupled with rising power bills, is spooking potential investors. It has frustrated business owners who complain of lost revenue and forced homeowners to buy new appliances amid unexpected surges.
“It’s never been worse,” Mariela Aguirre, a 49-year-old sales trainer, said of the weekly outages in her neighbourhood tucked in an upscale suburb near the capital. “This is turning into a Third World country.”