By The Star Staff
Genera PR spokesperson Iván Báez announced early Thursday that the private contractor is going to reinforce security at the island’s electric power generating plants in the face of what he described as an “unusual” event that caused a blackout on Wednesday night after at least one unit at Aguirre Central in Guayama went offline.
“The corporate security team will investigate and, if necessary, the authorities, local police and the federal government will be involved. Of course, we are going to rule out all possibilities,” Báez said in a radio interview (NotiUno). “[Yes, it was] an operational error. We are not ruling anything out at this time […] so we’re looking. Any type of situation that has occurred. Responsibly, I cannot say that something happened because of sabotage, but I have to exhaust all possibilities.”
“When two units from the same plant are triggered without a basic reason that there was a breakage of equipment, it already raises suspicion and possibilities must be ruled out,” he added.
Báez said the incident at Aguirre, which left an estimated 105,000 customers without power, supposedly did not indicate any equipment breakage, which he said raises suspicions.
“What happened yesterday was extremely unusual and additionally, we had another incident in the early morning at the same plant,” the Genera PR official said. “We activated the corporate security team because what we are seeing is something completely unusual and we are going to investigate to the fullest extent. Because it was not a failure, it may have been some instrumentalization, and for that we are sending in the corporate measurement team. We are going to redouble security in all units.”
“I believe that we have to investigate [the incident] to the ultimate consequences,” he said.
Báez maintained that the necessary security measures must be taken to avoid major incidents given that the islandwide electoral primaries are being held this Sunday.
Later on Thursday, a pair of lawmakers, San Juan District 4 Rep. Víctor Parés Otero and District 36 (Culebra, Vieques, Río Grande, Fajardo, Ceiba and Luquillo) Rep. Carlos “Johnny” Méndez Nuñez, announced that they will be filing a resolution in the island House of Representatives to investigate the causes that forced Units 1 and 2 at Aguirre to go offline.
“What happened yesterday is unacceptable,” Parés Otero said. “Today the management of Genera Puerto Rico, in charge of electricity generation, reported that it was a mechanical failure, but these units were supposed to have been rebuilt. Given this, we consider it worthwhile for the House of Representatives to begin an investigation into the events of last night, as well as the security protocols at the electricity generation plants.”
“Genera has indicated that it was an ‘unusual’ event last night,” the legislator added. Those are big words that cannot stop there. We are dismayed about what could happen to the other plants given what happened yesterday. It is assumed that the systems are working better, since million-dollar investments have been made with federal funds, so there has to be an explanation and the people deserve that.”
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