The short version
- Metro Puerto Rico reported the House Government Commission referred Energy Czar Josué Colón Ortiz and former PREPA executive director Mary Zapata Acosta to the Panel on the Independent Special Prosecutor for possible preliminary investigation
- El Vocero reported the commission also referred 3PPO president Osvaldo Carlo Linares and the firm Regulatory Compliance Services to the Department of Justice, Inspector General, Government Ethics Office and Comptroller
- El Nuevo Día reported the 120-page partial report concludes there was a chain of omissions and hasty decisions rather than proof of intent under the Anti-Corruption Code and Government Ethics Law
- Colón Ortiz told reporters his office did not evaluate proposals, select bidders or award the contract and that documentary evidence supports his account
Referrals to multiple authorities
The Government Commission of the House of Representatives referred Energy Czar Josué A. Colón Ortiz, former Electric Power Authority executive director Mary Carmen Zapata Acosta and Independent Third-Party Procurement Office president Osvaldo Carlo Linares to state and federal authorities over their actions in a failed temporary power generation contract with Power Expectations. Metro Puerto Rico reported the partial report, signed by commission chairman Rep. Víctor L. Parés Otero under House Resolution 42, was released on Nov. 5, 2026. The contract was signed June 10, 2026 and valued at $5.887 billion to add nearly 400 megawatts through a consortium including Power Expectations and Enchanted Rock. The Oversight Board revoked its approval in August after Enchanted Rock said it was not part of the project and its name and signature were used without authorization.
The partial report concludes that an examination of officials' and contractors' conduct under the Anti-Corruption Code and Government Ethics Law reveals a chain of omissions and hasty decisions rather than proof of intent. According to the document, officials who knew of the controversy did not inform the decision maker, the decision was based on a recommendation from an entity whose contract had expired and lacked full information, and no one verified the signer's authority. The commission found the exposure of public funds did not become a loss only because the controversy surfaced through a press inquiry before any payment. El Nuevo Día reported the commission attributed principal responsibility to the Public-Private Partnerships Authority through Colón and to the 3PPO, while assigning the Electric Power Authority significant but attenuated responsibility.
Also on PuertoRico.com: Is Puerto Rico part of the US?
What the sources posted
Posts and statements below are the sources' own words, quoted as published. They are not independently verified.
Respetamos las facultades de investigación de la Asamblea Legislativa y el derecho de cualquier organismo con jurisdicción a examinar las actuaciones de los funcionarios públicos.
Our translation: We respect the investigative powers of the Legislative Assembly and the right of any agency with jurisdiction to examine the actions of public officials.
The source's own statement, as quoted by El Vocero. Not verified by PuertoRico.com.
Specific referrals and findings
For Colón Ortiz and Zapata Acosta the commission asked the Panel on the Independent Special Prosecutor to evaluate whether a preliminary investigation is warranted regarding their knowledge of the controversy, failure to inform the decision maker and consent to the contract assignment. Metro Puerto Rico reported the commission also referred Colón's Sept. 3, 2026 testimony, transcripts, a group chat and an Aug. 21, 2025 meeting audio to the Department of Justice to assess possible action under Article 269 of the Penal Code without prejudging the existence of a crime. Referrals were made to the FBI and federal prosecutors regarding signing authority, the corporate document and other matters under federal wire fraud statutes. The report also asked the Inspector General to examine the process managed by the Electric Power Authority, Public-Private Partnerships Authority and 3PPO.
El Vocero reported the commission's determinations are political and institutional and do not constitute a finding of criminal, civil or ethical liability. The report recognizes that the Electric Power Authority did not receive material information for several weeks and acted to terminate the contract before any payments once the controversy became known. Colón Ortiz defended his actions after the report's release, stating that his agency made the first referral to authorities in August and that documentary evidence supports his version. El Nuevo Día reported Zapata Acosta's attorney said he was surprised by some conclusions given that the report acknowledges information was withheld from her for weeks and that she stopped the project and referred the matter to authorities.
Where the sources differ
All three sources agree that the House Government Commission issued referrals against Josué Colón Ortiz, Mary Carmen Zapata Acosta and Osvaldo Carlo Linares regarding the Power Expectations contract and that the partial report describes a chain of omissions and hasty decisions rather than proven intent. Metro Puerto Rico and El Nuevo Día quote the exact conclusion about the Anti-Corruption Code and Government Ethics Law while El Vocero paraphrases it. Metro Puerto Rico gives the contract value as $5,887 millones and details the June 10, 2026 signing date and near-400 megawatts goal; the other sources do not repeat the exact figure or date. El Vocero and El Nuevo Día report Colón's post-report defense and his statement that the Public-Private Partnerships Authority and his office did not evaluate proposals or award the contract; Metro Puerto Rico does not include his comments. El Vocero notes the commission found the Electric Power Authority's responsibility significant but attenuated; El Nuevo Día reports the same phrasing. Metro Puerto Rico alone details the Dec. 11, 2025 complaint dismissal and specific referrals involving Juan Ramón González Galarza and the 3PPO's handling of Flotek and risk descriptions.
What the reports do not say
The reports do not state whether any agency has opened a formal investigation following these referrals, the current status of any federal inquiry by the FBI or U.S. Attorney's Office, whether the contract's termination triggered any financial penalties or claims, or what specific next steps the Panel on the Independent Special Prosecutor, Department of Justice or Inspector General will take. No source provides an exact timeline for when the commission completed its partial report or when the full investigation under House Resolution 42 will conclude.
Sources
Every link below was opened and checked when this story was published. Official means a government body, agency or the organization itself; Reporting means a news outlet.
- Official Cámara refiere a Josué Colón y Mary Zapata por contrato con Power Expectations
- Reporting Cámara refiere a Josué Colón y Mary Zapata por contrato con Power Expectations
- Reporting Cámara refiere a Josué Colón, Mary Carmen Zapata y Osvaldo Carlo por fallido contrato de Power Expectations
- Reporting Comisión cameral de Gobierno emite referidos contra Josué Colón, Mary Carmen Zapata y Osvaldo Carlo por lío de Power Expectations
How we checked this
Metro Puerto Rico, El Vocero and El Nuevo Día each reported on the House Government Commission's partial report and referrals. The characterization of officials' conduct as a chain of omissions, the specific referrals to the Panel on the Independent Special Prosecutor and the inclusion of Colón Ortiz's post-report defense rest on single sources among the three.
Compiled by the PuertoRico.com News Desk from the reports and statements listed above, and checked against them before publishing. It does not include original interviews. Spot an error? Email support@puertorico.com with a link to this story.
Nils Huenerfuerst / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0PuertoRico.com is free, and readers like you keep it that way.
The PuertoRico.com newsroom checks every story against its sources and publishes it free. If this one helped, a contribution of any size keeps the next one free too.
Secure checkout by Stripe: card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or Link.
One payment, nothing to sign up for.
Contributions go to Puerto Rico.com, LLC. They are not charitable donations and are not tax-deductible. Payments are processed by Stripe.
Thank you for keeping PuertoRico.com free.
Your contribution went through. It helps pay for the next story.
Contributions go to Puerto Rico.com, LLC. They are not charitable donations and are not tax-deductible. Payments are processed by Stripe.