Amid thinly-veiled political controversy over the nature of the deal, the head of Puerto Rico’s power company said Sunday the agency will cancel its $300 million contract with Whitefish Energy Holdings amid growing scrutiny of the tiny Montana-based company’s role in restoring the devastated American territory’s power system following Hurricane Maria.  The Billings Gazette reports Ricardo Ramos’ announcement came hours after Gov. Ricardo Rossello urged the utility to scrap the deal with Whitefish, which is based in Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke’s hometown.  He was born in Bozeman, but raised in Whitefish.

More than 70% of Puerto Rico remains without power more than a month after Hurricane Maria struck.  A FEMA statement said that any language in the controversial contract saying the agency approved of the deal with Whitefish Energy Holdings is inaccurate.  The deal is being audited.

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