Standoff Between Harbor Pilots and New Fortress Energy Leaves Puerto Rico Without Natural Gas for Nearly a Week; Emergency Mechanism Activated

Puerto Rico has gone nearly a week without receiving liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments for power generation because of a standoff between New Fortress Energy (NFE) and the harbor pilots who guide vessel traffic in San Juan Bay, forcing authorities to activate an emergency mechanism to bring in fuel through another route ¹². The Independent Procurement Office (3PPO) ordered Genera PR and NFE on Tuesday to activate an alternate LNG supply system, with shipping company Crowley positioned to take over deliveries while the impasse is resolved ¹².

Background

The root of the dispute lies in a federal lawsuit that the Association of San Juan Bay Harbor Pilots has maintained against NFE since August 2025 over the dimensions of the vessels the company tries to bring into its gas terminal in the capital ³. Under an agreement endorsed by the Federal Court, the maximum beam (width) allowed for vessels entering the bay is 43.40 meters. The tanker Amur River, loaded with LNG, was left stranded several miles offshore without authorization to dock because its beam measures 44.24 meters -- about 84 centimeters over the agreed limit ³. The pilots argue NFE has proposed bringing in vessels that exceed the size stipulated in that court agreement, while the company maintains the vessel is the same class as others that have docked before, such as the Energos Maria and Energos Princess ³⁴.

The numbers

The impasse has lasted close to a week without LNG deliveries, according to both the English and Spanish versions of El Nuevo Dia's reporting published the night of September 23 ¹². With no gas available, Central San Juan had to run on diesel in generating unit 6, while unit 5 remains offline for repairs, according to Metro Puerto Rico ⁴. The fuel switch is costly: natural gas is typically 40% to 60% cheaper than diesel for power generation, according to industry estimates cited by that outlet ⁴, while El Nuevo Dia reported that diesel use has tripled generation costs at that plant ¹². The 3PPO was blunt in issuing the emergency order: "Hay que resolverlo ya" ("This has to be resolved now"), the office was quoted as telling Genera PR ¹. Genera PR, for its part, told 3PPO it has identified several alternate LNG suppliers in case the impasse drags on ¹.

What this means for you

Every day Central San Juan runs on diesel instead of natural gas, the cost of generating electricity rises, and that cost eventually gets passed on through the fuel cost adjustment (FCA) charge reviewed quarterly by the Energy Bureau. If the bay standoff continues, LUMA customers could see that portion of their bill reflect the days of costlier diesel generation, on top of the risk of tighter generation margins in the metro area if another unit fails while unit 5 stays offline.

How to handle it / Checklist

1. Check your LUMA bill each month on the fuel cost adjustment (FCA) line to see whether it reflects changes tied to this episode.
2. Follow updates from the Energy Bureau (NEPR) and the 3PPO at energia.pr.gov, where orders and filings in this case are posted.
3. If you live near Central San Juan or depend on that generation, turn on MiLUMA alerts to stay informed about outages or emergency-mode operation.
4. Cut consumption during peak hours (generally 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.) while diesel operation continues, since that is when the system is most strained.
5. If you notice an unusual increase on upcoming bills, request the FCA breakdown through LUMA's portal or call customer service for an explanation of the fuel component.

What's next

With the emergency mechanism activated, Crowley would take charge of bringing in the next LNG shipment while NFE and the pilots litigate the underlying issue in Federal Court: which vessels can enter San Juan Bay and under what conditions. Genera PR is expected to keep 3PPO updated on the status of alternate suppliers, and the Energy Bureau is likely to track the impact of these days of diesel generation in the next fuel adjustment cycle. The underlying legal dispute, which began in August 2025, is not resolved by the emergency mechanism and could trigger similar standoffs again if NFE and the pilots don't reach a permanent agreement on vessel dimensions.