SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — A record electric rate went into effect Thursday in Puerto Rico as outages persist and the U.S. territory’s power grid continues to crumble.
\n\nA residential customer that consumes 800 kilowatt-hours a month will see the monthly bill rise about 18%, from $229 to $271, according to Puerto Rico’s Energy Bureau, which approved the increase.
\n\nThe new rate will remain in effect until at least Dec. 31 and is expected to drive up an already high cost of living on the island of 3.2 million people, where more than 40% of residents live in poverty.
\n\nThe new rate of 33.86 cents per kWh far surpasses the average rate of 18.3 cents per kWh for residential customers in the U.S. mainland, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
\n\nLuma Energy, which oversees the transmission and distribution of power in Puerto Rico, had requested an increase of more than six cents per kWh and stressed that it would not generate additional revenue for the company, but rather cover an increase in costs.
\n\n“The difference is driven by higher energy consumption due to high summer temperatures, rising global oil prices resulting from the conflict in the Middle East —…
Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/business