Fluor Corp. said that it was prevented from fulfilling one-fourth of what was a $1 billion federal deal to repair Puerto Rico’s power grid over a legal dispute unfolding largely out of public view, WSJ Pro Bankruptcy reported. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers slashed $250 million from Fluor’s $1 billion order for reconstruction work in Puerto Rico after a losing bidder lodged a formal protest of the contract award, according to a Fluor spokesman. Fluor was hired by the Army Corps to spearhead power restoration efforts on the island after Hurricane Maria but is now reaching spending limits and demobilizing workers. The company’s departure has dismayed some residents and politicians because more than 10 percent of utility customers still lack power. Other nagging power system problems are also affecting service across the island. Irving, Texas-based Fluor was awarded two contracts capped at $1 billion with a ceiling for other potential work of $1.3 billion. Yet Fluor was unable to access the full value because any funding beyond $750 million was limited by an on-going bid protest in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, an Army Corps spokesman said.
