These are dark times for WAPA
Earlier this year, a court order froze bank accounts for WAPA. The order initially froze about $6 million. WAPA regained access to their Popular account after a favorable court ruling.
On April 22nd, Governor Albert Bryan Jr. declared a State of Energy Emergency. The declaration came after the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority experienced fluctuations in power generation in both districts, leading to blackouts, with the authority eventually announcing a rotation schedule impacting all customers.
“Today’s declaration of a State of Emergency is a critical step towards restoring energy security, resolving past due payments to WAPA (Water and Power Authority), and rectifying the conditions causing rotational outages and a loss of generating capacity,” Bryan said earlier this year.
He said the action aims to stabilize the territory’s energy infrastructure and ensure the reliability of utility services for all residents.
According to the St. Thomas Source, the territory’s debt owed by the central government and semi-autonomous agencies was approximately $25 million in April.
WAPA’s most recent message to customers is so shockingly candid that some on social media thought it was a parody page. In a press statement last night, WAPA said, “Due to financial challenges, there is low diesel fuel inventory,” the territory’s sole utility company is running out of options.
Today, according to Government House, WAPA is experiencing a cash crunch while balancing ongoing rebuilds and grid upgrades since 2017’s destructive Atlantic hurricane season.
A report published in May by the Virgin Islands Daily News found that two of WAPA’s bank accounts had been frozen by court order. Accounts held at FirstBank and Popular were frozen. WAPA’s Popular bank account was unfrozen after a favorable court order.
However, the authority still does not have access to all of its cash, continues to run a credit line for the Government of the Virgin Islands, and can’t access federal money for upgrades without completing the necessary steps—steps that will likely push WAPA’s completion of a new electrical grid into the next decade.
The most recent press statement—July 17th—on WAPA’s website states:
On St. Thomas, for the remaining month of July crew members will be working on Feeders 7C and 7B in the following neighborhoods and roads from West to East: Mandahl, Wintberg, Donoe, Hoffman, Weymouth Rhymer Hwy, Annas Retreat, Tutu, Tabor & Harmony, Smith Bay, Frydendal and other nearby areas.
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) will aid in assessments for disaster recovery, accelerate response time to system problems, offer asset tracking, load monitoring, and system analysis. The Davey Resource Group technicians will be using tablets, GPS equipment and other devices during the field inventory and can be identified by their WAPA Contractor ID badges, safety vests, and a Letter of Authority (available upon request). All residents, business owners, and local authorities are asked to provide full cooperation during the inventory project.
Any questions concerning the project may be directed to Ambi Blyden, Interim Planning and Design Manager, at 340-774-3552 extension 2270, or ambi.blyden@viwapa.vi. For visuals on the Davey Resource Group and what to expect in the field, please watch the short clip on WAPA’s YouTube page:
The people of the U.S. Virgin Islands are living through one of the darkest periods in WAPA’s history. The territory continues to receive new funding opportunities from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Housing and Urban Development to upgrade its grid.
HUD Releases $100 Million for Electrical System Infrastructure
Government House said the State of Energy Emergency “ensures payment of more than $11 million to satisfy overdue payments to the cash-strapped Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority on behalf of the territory’s semi-autonomous entities including the Juan F. Luis Hospital and Schneider Regional Medical Center, as well as the Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority.”
On the same day Bryan made the emergency declaration, Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett’s office said the announcement reaffirmed her willingness to work with the governor, his administration, and the 35th Legislature of the Virgin Islands as WAPA struggles to operate an efficient power grid.