Puerto Rico Contract Scrapped: Whitefish Energy 'Disappointed'

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO — Whitefish Energy Holdings, the small Montana company that was awarded a $300 million contract to help restore Puerto Rico's power grid, is "very disappointed" that the contract is being scrapped by the U.S. territory's government power company. The contract faced increased scrutiny because the company had just two full-time workers when the contract was awarded. It is also based in the hometown of U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke.

Sunday's cancellation will only delay efforts to restore power to the island, Whitefish spokesman Chris Chiames told The Associated Press.Roughly 70 percent of the island remains without power more than a month after Hurricane Maria struck the U.S. territory on Sept. 20.

Whitefish has brought 350 workers to the island and expected to have 500 this week, Chiames said. The company finished critical work, he said, including a project that would soon lead to a half million people in San Juan getting power.

Power company director Ricardo Ramos said Sunday that he's bowing to a demand by the U.S. territory's governor, Ricardo Rossello to scrap the contract once Whitefish finishes current work. The cancellation will delay work by 10 to 12 weeks, Ramos said.

Audits of the Whitefish contract at a local and federal level are under way.

Photo credit: Ramon Espinosa/Associated Press