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Discussion » Statements » Rosie's Corner » 75% of Puerto Rico is STILL without power. The last job Whitefish* did was worth a million bucks. This is worth $300 million. FAST TRACK?
RosieG

75% of Puerto Rico is STILL without power. The last job Whitefish* did was worth a million bucks. This is worth $300 million. FAST TRACK?

Whitefish. The tiny 2-person company in Montana who got a contract for $300 million! They have been in business a couple of years. What makes them so spectacularly special that they would be given a no-bid contract and TRUSTED with that much work when their record is so sparse and small and tiny and short-lived?

Posted - October 26, 2017
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Responses


  • 2500

    Ah! some semi-useful information - finally.

    Is that 75% of the population or 75% of the land mass that's without power ?
      October 26, 2017 9:36 AM MDT
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  • 35558
    WhiteFish could get there first and was the first to agree to the terms specified. They also have experience with for rugged terrain that is in PR. 
    They use contract labor so yes they have less employees than most electrical companies  but they have more than 2....

    Also to go through  the process of bidding would add months more to the time PRs residence will be without power. 

    Ryan Zinke, Secretary of the Interior, maybe a Montanan but he did not award the contract. The PR power authority, PREPA, was who decided to hire Whitefish.

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/small-montana-firm-lands-puerto-ricos-biggest-contract-to-get-the-power-back-on/2017/10/23/31cccc3e-b4d6-11e7-9e58-e6288544af98_story.html
      October 26, 2017 9:38 AM MDT
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  • 2500

    You believe what your read in the Bezos Post ?

    EVERY power company and line construction company (outside of maybe, Iowa or Nebraska) has experience with rugged terrain power line construction. Puerto Rico is no more "rugged" than is most of Appalachia.  And on top of that it's a matter of if their hired contractors have that experience, not if the company itself has that "experience" as they apparently won't be doing any of the actual work.

    The biggest challenge will be obtaining the replacement materials getting them and construction equipment to the island, and ultimately to the many worksites. And if substation transformers have been destroyed . . . it may take months to get replacements built, transported and installed.
      October 26, 2017 9:50 AM MDT
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  • 35558
    Pick your own article...
    I am just posting an article with quotes from the person at PREPA who was explaining why they hired Whitefish.
      October 26, 2017 9:54 AM MDT
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  • 22891
    not sure why theyre without power so long
      October 26, 2017 2:00 PM MDT
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