Puerto Rico needed electricity. That urgency was real. Years of generation shortages and repeated blackouts made additional power a public priority. Against that backdrop, the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority pursued a contract for up to 400 megawatts of temporary generation at the Aguirre Power Plant — a deal potentially worth nearly $5.9 billion over 10 years.

Urgency, however, does not eliminate the need for basic due diligence. A government can move quickly and still know who its contractors are, whether they can perform, who has authority to bind them, and why they were selected.

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This contract failed that test.

The agreement listed Power Expectations, Enchanted Rock, and Reyes Contractor collectively as the seller. Then it unraveled over the most elementary question in contracting: Had one of those companies actually agreed to be there?

Enchanted Rock says it never authorized its participation and that its name and signature were used without authorization. Power Expectations disputes that account, claiming a lengthy commercial relationship, an exclusive representation arrangement, executive meetings, financial guarantees, and operational agreements.

Those competing claims make the underlying documents more important, not less.

The Financial Oversight and Management Board ultimately revoked its approval and ordered PREPA to terminate the contract, concluding that the procurement process had been irreparably impaired. Critically, the board found........

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