Officials: Nearly half of clients in Puerto Rico without power
Army engineers say entire island will have power by May.
restored power for the first said officials had other ways time to parts of the south- of obtaining the information. east coastal town of Yabu“That is a very important coa, which received the first number for people,” he said. hit from Maria. “The people have a total and
Quinones said power absolute right to know how remains out across the island many customers are being equally, although he wasn’t serviced ... That way they SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO — able to immediately say what have a better idea of how Puerto Rico authorities said percentage of businesses and it’s progressing ... and how Friday that nearly half of homes now have electricity. to prepare themselves.” power customers in the U.S. Gov. Ricardo Rossello had Martinez also said that a territory still lack electricpledged 95 percent power lack of supplies and equipity more than three months generation by Dec. 15, while ment is slowing power resafter Hurricane Maria. the U.S. Army Corps of Engi- toration efforts, echoing an
Officials said 55 percent neers has said the entire early concern by the U.S. of the nearly 1.5 million cus- island will have power by Army Corps of Engineers. tomers have power, mark- May. Puerto Rico’s governor ing the first time the govFredyson Martinez, vice on Friday said that he has ernment has provided that president of a union that requested up to 1,500 addistatistic since the Category represents workers with tional workers from electric 4 storm hit on Sept. 20 with Puerto Rico’s power com- companies across the U.S. winds of up to 154 mph. Offi- pany, told the AP on Friday mainland to help restore cials had previously reported that a recent study by local power, and said he has asked power generation, which engineers found that 90 per- the Army Corps of Engineers stands at nearly 70 percent cent of industries and 75 perto increase its capacity to of pre-storm levels. cent of businesses already provide assistance.
“The damage was severe,” have power, meaning resi“We understand how diffipower company spokesman dential areas are dispropor- cult it has been for the peoGeraldo Quinones said. “A tionately in the dark. ple of Puerto Rico who have lot of work remains.” Martinez said the company been without power for so
One of Puerto Rico’s 78 should have provided the long,” he said. “Our adminismu n ic i palities re m ai ns number of customers with- tration will continue working entirely without power, and out power a while ago. The to ensure that there are the it’s unclear when some elec- company has said the optinecessary resources to comtricity will be restored to cal fiber that helps provide plete this restoration effort the central mountain town that data was destroyed by after an unprecedented devof Ciales. Crews this week the hurricane, but Martinez astation.”