More than 60 Xcel Energy workers will soon be navigating a mountainous region of Puerto Rico, pitching in on efforts to fully restore electricity to the hurricane-damaged U.S. territory.
Xcel is among more than 20 electric companies that are sending a combined 1,500 workers and additional resources to Puerto Rico to help repair damage done there by Hurricane Maria, according to a company news release.
Maria, a Category 4 storm, made landfall on the island Sept. 20. Roughly 40 percent of local power subscribers have not yet had their service restored, according to data provided by the Puerto Rican government on the website . That figure represents hundreds of thousands of people in the territory of more than 3 million.
Ricardo Arduengo, AFP/Getty Images
A man gestures as he walks through a debris covered road as Hurricane Maria hits Puerto Rico in Fajardo, on Sept. 20, 2017.
Maria made landfall on Puerto Rico, pummeling the US territory after already killing at least two people on its passage through the Caribbean. The US National Hurricane Center warned of "large and destructive waves" as Maria came ashore near Yabucoa on the southeast coast.
Hector Retamal, AFP/Getty Images
Residents of San Juan, Puerto Rico, deal with damages to their homes on Sept. 20, 2017, as Hurricane Maria batters the island.
Maria slammed into Puerto Rico on Wednesday, cutting power on most of the US territory as terrified residents hunkered down in the face of the island's worst storm in living memory. After leaving a deadly trail of destruction on a string of smaller Caribbean islands, Maria made landfall on Puerto Rico's southeast coast around daybreak, packing winds of around 150mph (240kph).
Hector Retamal, AFP/Getty Images
Rain and wind hit a parking lot at Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on September 20, 2017, during the passage of the Hurricane Maria.
Maria made landfall on Puerto Rico on Wednesday, pummeling the US territory after already killing at least two people on its passage through the Caribbean. The US National Hurricane Center warned of "large and destructive waves" as Maria came ashore near Yabucoa on the southeast coast.
Ricardo Arduengo, AFP/Getty Images
People taking shelter at Fajardo's City Hall watch as Hurricane Maria hits Puerto Rico on Sept. 20, 2017.
Maria made landfall on Puerto Rico on Wednesday, pummeling the US territory after already killing at least two people on its passage through the Caribbean. The US National Hurricane Center warned of "large and destructive waves" as Maria came ashore near Yabucoa on the southeast coast.
NOAA via AFP/Getty Images
This satellite image obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows Hurricane Maria at 1200UTC on Sept. 20, 2017.
Maria made landfall on Puerto Rico on Wednesday, pummeling the US territory after already killing at least two people on its passage through the Caribbean. The US National Hurricane Center warned of "large and destructive waves" as Maria came ashore near Yabucoa on the southeast coast.
Tatiana Fernandez, The Associated Press
A woman covers herself with a plastic bag as she makes her way to work as Hurricane Maria approaches the coast of Bavaro, Dominican Republic, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2017.
Tatiana Fernandez, The Associated Press
Men wade through a flooded Alemania Avenue as Hurricane Maria reaches the coast of Bavaro, Dominican Republic, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2017.
Ricardo Arduengo, AFP/Getty Images
A search and rescue crew member removes a tree branch from a flooded road as Hurricane Maria hits Puerto Rico in Fajardo, on Sept. 20, 2017.
Maria made landfall on Puerto Rico, pummeling the US territory after already killing at least two people on its passage through the Caribbean. The US National Hurricane Center warned of "large and destructive waves" as Maria came ashore near Yabucoa on the southeast coast.
Hector Retamal, AFP/Getty Images
Residents of San Juan, Puerto Rico, deal with damages to their homes on Sept. 20, 2017, as Hurricane Maria batters the island.
Maria slammed into Puerto Rico on Wednesday, cutting power on most of the US territory as terrified residents hunkered down in the face of the island's worst storm in living memory. After leaving a deadly trail of destruction on a string of smaller Caribbean islands, Maria made landfall on Puerto Rico's southeast coast around daybreak, packing winds of around 150mph (240kph).
Carlos Giusti, The Associated Press
Rescue personnel from the Emergency Management Agency make preparations to rescue about 19 municipal police officers that were stranded at their flooded station during the impact of Maria, a Category 5 hurricane that hit the eastern region of the island, in Humacao, Puerto Rico, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2017.
Ricardo Arduengo, AFP/Getty Images
A woman is transported to a shelter by search and rescue crew members after being rescued from her flooded home as Hurricane Maria hits Puerto Rico in Fajardo, on Sept. 20, 2017.
Maria made landfall on Puerto Rico, pummeling the US territory after already killing at least two people on its passage through the Caribbean. The US National Hurricane Center warned of "large and destructive waves" as Maria came ashore near Yabucoa on the southeast coast.
Hector Retamal, AFP/Getty Images
Residents of San Juan, Puerto Rico, deal with damages to their homes on Sept. 20, 2017, as Hurricane Maria batters the island.
Maria slammed into Puerto Rico on Wednesday, cutting power on most of the US territory as terrified residents hunkered down in the face of the island's worst storm in living memory. After leaving a deadly trail of destruction on a string of smaller Caribbean islands, Maria made landfall on Puerto Rico's southeast coast around daybreak, packing winds of around 150mph (240kph).
Jose Romero And Hector Retamaljose Romero,hector Retamal, AFP/Getty Images
Destruction caused by Hurricane Maria close to Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Sept. 20, 2017.
Maria slammed into Puerto Rico on Wednesday, cutting power on most of the US territory as terrified residents hunkered down in the face of the island's worst storm in living memory. After leaving a deadly trail of destruction on a string of smaller Caribbean islands, Maria made landfall on Puerto Rico's southeast coast around daybreak, packing winds of around 150mph (240kph).
Hector Retamal, AFP/Getty Images
Librada is seen at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum refuge in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Sept. 19, 2017, prior the arrival of Hurricane Maria. She left voluntarily of her house to take refuge.
Maria headed towards the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico after battering the eastern Caribbean island of Dominica, with the US National Hurricane Center warning of a "potentially catastrophic" impact.
Lionel Chamoiseau, AFP/Getty Images
A man clears debris from a street in Saint-Pierre, on the French Caribbean island of Martinique, after it was hit by Hurricane Maria, on Sept. 19, 2017.
Martinique suffered power outages but avoided major damage.
Alex Wroblewski, Getty Images
Felled trees cover the roads in the Miramar neighborhood after Hurricane Maria made landfall on Sept. 20, 2017 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Thousands of people have sought refuge in shelters, and electricity and phone lines have been severely effected.
Tatiana Fernandez, The Associated Press
Workers pick up tables and board up windows at a restaurant, before the arrival of Hurricane Maria in Bavaro, Dominican Republic, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2017.
Alex Wroblewski, Getty Images
Residents cover windows as they prepare for a direct hit from Hurricane Maria on September 19, 2017 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello is saying Maria could be the "most catastrophic hurricane to hit" the U.S. territory in a century.
Alex Wroblewski, Getty Images
The La Perla neighborhood in Old San Juan as residents prepare for a direct hit from Hurricane Maria on Sept. 19, 2017 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello is saying Maria could be the "most catastrophic hurricane to hit" the U.S. territory in a century.
Lionel Chamoiseau, AFP/Getty Images
A resident stands at her doorstep as she looks at strong waves in Saint-Pierre, on the French Caribbean island of Martinique, after it was hit by Hurricane Maria, on Sept. 19, 2017.
Martinique suffered power outages but avoided major damage.
Ricardo Arduengo, AFP/Getty Images
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A man gestures as he walks through a debris covered road as Hurricane Maria hits Puerto Rico in Fajardo, on Sept. 20, 2017.
Maria made landfall on Puerto Rico, pummeling the US territory after already killing at least two people on its passage through the Caribbean. The US National Hurricane Center warned of "large and destructive waves" as Maria came ashore near Yabucoa on the southeast coast.
Xcel, based in Minneapolis, provides power service in eight states. It is the largest provider in Colorado.
The company shipped trucks to Puerto Rico this month, according to a news release. By the end of January, an estimated 50 line workers and 15 support staffers will fly to the island to join the equipment. Xcel’s workers will be assigned to the Caguas, a mountainous area south of the capital city of San Juan where damage is extensive, the company said. Approximately 20 of the workers will be from Colorado, company officials said.
“This is a massive undertaking under difficult circumstances, but our crews are ready to bring power back on safely,” Xcel executive vice president Kent Lawson said in the release. “Itap what we would do for our own customers, and we want to deliver that same quality of service to our fellow citizens in Puerto Rico.”
More than 20 electric companies are part of the coordinated, nationwide mutual assistance response that is bringing nearly 1,500 additional workers to Puerto Rico, Xcel said.
