San Juan metro area expected to have power service stabilized by next week [with Maps]

With the connection in the coming days of a 230,000-volt transmission line and a generator to power the Central San Juan plant, the director of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (Prepa), Ricardo Ramos, expects to stabilize the service in the metropolitan area and to include more customers in Bayamón, Aguas Buenas and Caguas.

In addition, Ramos said that for next week, restoring service to the municipality of Humacao is also expected after an old gas turbine in Yabucoa and two 115-volt lines that reach Humacao were repaired, and in Fajardo with the repair of a gas turbine in Ceiba’s Daguao neighborhood.

“To further increase the supply capacity in the metro area, we are working with the 230,000-volt line that comes from Guayanilla to Cambalache in Arecibo, then to Manatí and Bayamón. Those two sections, from Cambalache to Manatí and from Manatí to Bayamón are being worked quickly with Whitefish [Energy]. We believe that between October 21st and 23rd, we reach Bayamón and we supply power to further strengthen the metro area and provide more stability,” the official said.

To those efforts are in addition to the installation of two gas turbines at the Palo Seco power station that add about 50 megawatts to the generating capacity and will power the Central San Juan complex.

Public Affairs Secretary Ramón Rosario said that with these actions, the governor’s goal of having 30% of the generation capacity available by the end of October will be met.

Ramos said a plan to identify the “clusters” where the aerospace industry, medical product manufacturers and pharmaceuticals are located is being followed to give priority to the lines that service those areas.

He said the manufacturing facilities in the Manatí area will be getting power, followed by those in Ponce. Hopes are that the industrial area of Gurabo, Juncos and Las Piedras will have service back by the first or second week of November.

Regarding the island-municipalities, Ramos said Culebra is running at 99% power provided there is fuel for the plant, while Vieques only has 25%.

According to data provided by the government on Wednesday, Prepa is generating 19.1% of the energy needed by Puerto Rico, and some 231 utility brigades and private contractors are still working to continue repairing transmission and distribution lines. The U.S Army Corps of Engineers has seven brigades and 200 additional brigades are expected after the hiring of Fluor Corp. The goal is to have a thousand brigades working to achieve the target of 30 percent by Oct. 30 and 95 percent by Dec. 15.

The following is a map of the places in Puerto Rico that have had power restored. Click on an icon for more information.

Prepa Executive Director Ricardo Ramos 
By Yanira Hernández Cabiya 
San Juan metro area expected to have power service stabilized by next week