Since Sep 23, 26 government contracts of $1 million or more with private firms have appeared in the Comptroller’s contract registry.
What stands out
The week’s money is heavily concentrated. Two Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) solar energy contracts, $447.8 million and $108.58 million, sit far above everything else in the filings. After them, the amounts drop to $37.23 million for water-retention structures at the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (AAA), and most of the rest are in the single-digit millions.
The kinds of work are varied: solar energy, water-retention structures, loans, federal funds, roads and bridges, and buildings. The Department of Economic Development and Commerce (DDEC) files most often, and its two largest entries, $8.25 million and $7.82 million, are federal funds agreements with local workforce development areas. The 14 agencies involved show a wide spread by count, but the dollars sit with a few utility and infrastructure contracts. Filings between public bodies are smaller, with the largest at $6.17 million for collaboration agreements.
The largest new contracts
Names and categories are the registry’s own, in Spanish; hover over or tap an underlined one for the English.
| Agency (The public body that signed the contract) | Amount (Amount to be paid, as filed) | Contractor (As named in the registry) | Service (The registry's own service category) |
|---|---|---|---|
| AEE (Autoridad de Energía Eléctrica de Puerto Rico — Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA)) | $447,800,873 | CIRO BESS, LLC | energía solar (solar energy) |
| AEE (Autoridad de Energía Eléctrica de Puerto Rico — Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA)) | $108,584,882 | CIRO TWO SALINAS, LLC | energía solar (solar energy) |
| AAA (Autoridad de Acueductos y Alcantarillados de Puerto Rico — Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (AAA)) | $37,231,252.14 | INDUSTRIAL SERVICES GROUP INC. | estructura para retención de agua (water-retention structures) |
| Vivienda (Departamento de la Vivienda — Department of Housing) | $29,109,408 | OCYON BIO PR INC. and BIOSIMILAR SCIENCES PR, LLC | préstamos (loans) |
| DDEC (Departamento de Desarrollo Económico y Comercio — Department of Economic Development and Commerce (DDEC)) | $8,248,637 | ÁREA LOCAL DE DESARROLLO LABORAL DE CAGUAS/GUAYAMA (ALDL CAGUAS/GUAYAMA) | fondos federales (federal funds) |
| DDEC (Departamento de Desarrollo Económico y Comercio — Department of Economic Development and Commerce (DDEC)) | $7,818,038 | ÁREA LOCAL DE DESARROLLO LABORAL DE NORTE-CENTRAL (ALDL NORTE CENTRAL ARECIBO) | fondos federales (federal funds) |
| Salud (Departamento de Salud — Department of Health) | $7,500,000 | LIGA PUERTORRIQUENA CONTRA EL CANCER, INC. | incentivos-otros (incentives (other)) |
| Carreteras (Autoridad de Carreteras y Transportación de Puerto Rico — Puerto Rico Highways and Transportation Authority (ACT)) | $6,347,400 | PROFESSIONAL ASPHALT L.L.C. | carreteras, caminos, calles y puentes (highways, roads, streets and bridges) |
The table lists the 8 largest of the 26; every one is searchable in the Comptroller’s registry.
Between public bodies
Loans, leases and service agreements where both sides are part of government. Large, but money moving inside the public sector rather than out of it.
| Agency (The public body that signed) | Amount (Amount to be paid, as filed) | Counterpart (The other public body) | Service (The registry's own service category) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carreteras (Autoridad de Carreteras y Transportación de Puerto Rico — Puerto Rico Highways and Transportation Authority (ACT)) | $6,171,986 | AUTORIDAD DE TRANSPORTE INTEGRADO DE PUERTO RICO (Integrated Transport Authority) | acuerdos colaborativos (collaboration agreements) |
| AFI (Autoridad para el Financiamiento de la Infraestructura de Puerto Rico — Puerto Rico Infrastructure Financing Authority) | $3,000,000 | DRNA (Departamento De Recursos Naturales Y Ambientales — Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DRNA)) and CAGUAS (Municipio De Caguas — Municipality of Caguas) | préstamos (loans) |
| DDEC (Departamento de Desarrollo Económico y Comercio — Department of Economic Development and Commerce (DDEC)) | $2,895,504.18 | COMPAÑÍA DE FOMENTO INDUSTRIAL DE PUERTO RICO (Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company (PRIDCO)) | edificios (buildings (construction or repair)) |
| Justicia (Departamento de Justicia — Department of Justice) | $2,732,000 | AEP (Autoridad De Edificios Públicos — Public Buildings Authority) | edificios (buildings (construction or repair)) |
| Carreteras (Autoridad de Carreteras y Transportación de Puerto Rico — Puerto Rico Highways and Transportation Authority (ACT)) | $2,672,541.30 | AEP (Autoridad De Edificios Públicos — Public Buildings Authority) | oficinas (offices) |
The table lists the 5 largest of the 7.
Our recent coverage of these agencies
Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA)
- PREPA Bankruptcy Enters New Phase
- Appeals court rejects PREPA bondholders’ claim against Puerto Rico’s central government
Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (AAA)
- Senator Expresses Reservations About AAA’s 50% Discount on Water Bills
- Puerto Rico House Passes Bill Requiring AAA Transparency and Customer Credits for Water Outages
Department of Economic Development and Commerce (DDEC)
- DDEC Subsecretary to Remain in Position Despite Expanded Investigation
- FEI Expands Probe into DDEC Scandal to Include Deputy Secretary Roberto Lefranc Fortuño
About this list
This is the 2nd Contract Watch (the previous one is here). Source: Oficina del Contralor de Puerto Rico, Registro de Contratos (https://consultacontratos.ocpr.gov.pr/), contracts on file as of Sep 30.
Agencies file with the Comptroller days or weeks after signing, so recent weeks fill in over time; a contract can also be amended or canceled after it is filed.