Puerto Rico moves to cancel contract with Whitefish Energy to repair electric grid

The following article by Stephen Mufson, Arelis R. Hernández and Aaron C. Davis was posted on the Washington Post website October 29, 2017:

Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló has called for the immediate cancellation of a $300 million contract with Montana-based Whitefish Energy Holdings, a tiny company based in the hometown of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke. (Reuters)

Puerto Rico’s electric company moved Sunday to cancel a $300 million contract with a small Montana firm for repairs to the territory’s hurricane-ravaged electrical grid, saying controversy surrounding the agreement was distracting from the effort to restore power.

The contract with Whitefish Energy — a firm that had just two employees the day the storm hit — had drawn blistering criticism from members of Congress for days. And on Friday the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which has a large role in determining government reimbursements, said it had “significant concerns” about how the contract was secured. Continue reading “Puerto Rico moves to cancel contract with Whitefish Energy to repair electric grid”