Puerto Rico Idles Power Plants as New Fortress Withholds Gas

New Fortress Energy Inc., a struggling company founded by billionaire Wes Edens, is withholding a liquefied natural gas shipment to Puerto Rico over disputed payments, forcing the island to idle power plants.

New Fortress Energy says the US territory owes it millions of dollars from past fuel shipments. Puerto Rico energy czar Josue Colon says his office has no record of those debts and that the company’s move is unjustified, straining the island’s grid as demand for power surges amid summer heat.