Puerto Rico to Cancel $300 Million No-Bid Contract to Whitefish Energy

Edited by Pavel Jacomino
2017-10-30 15:32:50

Pinterest
Telegram
Linkedin
WhatsApp

San Juan, October 30 (RHC)-- In Puerto Rico, Governor Ricardo Roselló said Sunday he’s ordered the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority to cancel its controversial $300 million contract with the tiny Montana-based company Whitefish Energy. 

The Puerto Rican governor’s move came after enormous pressure and scrutiny over the contract to reconstruct Puerto Rico’s electrical power grid devastated by Hurricane Maria. 

The company Whitefish is based in the tiny hometown of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, and the head of the private equity company that backs Whitefish was a Trump campaign donor.  Late last week, a leaked copy of the contract sparked even further outrage, after it surfaced that the terms barred penalties for work delays and prohibited the project from being audited. 

Ángel Figueroa Jaramillo, president of Puerto Rico’s public utility union, said: “We understand that this decision by the governor is in the face of the major questions that have been raised and the doubts that are circulating as to whether FEMA is going to be able to reimburse the money.  And given the possibility that FEMA has distanced itself from reimbursing the money, and given the invoicing of $11 million, the governor is calling for the contract to be canceled. 



Commentaries


MAKE A COMMENT
All fields required
NOT TO BE PUBLISHED
captcha challenge
up