Commonwealth Utilities Corp. Executive Director Gary Camacho said power plant engineers and electricians were able to minimize the impact of the problem.
“We were able to find the problem and manually turned off the six power circuits. They didn’t trip off so we could work inside the control room,” he told Variety in an interview.
After identifying the problem, CUC electricians immediately initiated the emergency repairs, he added.
Six circuits were de-energized — Kiya 1, 2, 3 and 4 along with Feeders 2 and 3 — so that CUC power plant personnel could safely perform repair work.
CUC said because the problem involved the electrical equipment in the power plant control room, “multiple circuits encompassing a large part of the island’s electrical grid were affected.”
The power outage hit Garapan, Lower Base, Puerto Rico, Chalan Laulau, San Jose, Chalan Kiya, As Terlaje, Kannat Tabla, Airport Road, San Vicente, Papago, Upper and Lower Dandan. Obyan, As Perdido, As Lito, Koblerville, Afetnas, Fina Sisu, San Antonio, Susupe, Chinatown, As Gonno, Chalan Kanoa, Chalan Piao, Oleai/San Jose, Gualo Rai and As Falape.
The areas affected by water interruption due to the power outage were Gualo Rai, portions of Middle Road from Gualo Rai Road to Taro Sue, As Falape area including Dandan, portions of Kannat Tabla, As Lito, Fina Sisu, As Perdido, Koblerville, Isley, As Gonno, San Antonio, Afetnas, Chalan Kanoa, Chalan Piao, Susupe, and Oleai/San Jose.
Camacho said it was a “major problem, but it was very good that the electrician and the control room operators put a plan together with the power plant engineers to prepare a scope of work and how to address the problem.”
Camacho expressed appreciation to the power plant staff members for fixing the problem.
No other information about the electrical issues of the power plant was available as of press time Thursday.
