By The Star Staff
Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) Executive Director Josué Colón Ortíz on Thursday urged customers to be prepared for selective blackouts that could occur at any time during the rest of the week due to a lack of power generation given the failure reported in a Unit 2 boiler at the Central Aguirre plant in Salinas.
“Every day, starting today -- because what we are trying to do is [take steps so] that Unit 2 of Aguirre does not have to be taken out of service,” Colón Ortíz said in a radio interview. “The moment that unit goes out of service, be it today, tomorrow -- the day it goes out, at that moment that it is not available, it will be then that service interruptions may occur.”
“What we are trying, with the work we are doing, is to extend the operation of the machine until the weekend when we have less energy demand and also, because on the weekend or at the beginning of next week, Unit 6 of Costa Sur can resume service,” he added.
The official said they have worked to enter several units into service that were out due to breakdowns, which in part has minimized the onset of blackouts.