Ten senators press WAPA on power crisis as outages persist

A private emergency meeting between ten senators and utility executives took place Tuesday as rolling power failures continue to disrupt the St. Thomas-St. John District.

Sen. Avery Lewis, who chairs the Committee on Government Operations, Veterans Affairs, and Consumer Protection, confirmed the gathering in a statement released Wednesday. He said the Legislature aims to hold the V.I. Water and Power Authority accountable for the ongoing outages.

"Residents of the Virgin Islands deserve reliable utility services, clear answers about ongoing outages, and a concrete plan for improvement," Lewis said. The senator did not disclose reasons for keeping the session private.

WAPA CEO Karl Knight and other senior staff attended the meeting. The utility has attributed the blackouts to generator malfunctions and is sourcing replacement parts to repair two 9-megawatt Wartsila units. Outages are projected to last roughly two weeks during repair work.

On Wednesday, WAPA announced plans to shut down multiple feeders between 10:30 p.m. and 5 a.m. to service the 20-megawatt Unit 27. This comes atop existing two-hour rolling blackouts affecting other feeders. The utility has made outage schedules available to the public.

The authority faces a significant capacity shortfall. Replacement generators will not arrive before 2028 at the earliest. Four backup units totalling 10 megawatts arrived in August for St. John and are scheduled for installation in January pending a Coastal Zone Management permit decision. A planned solar installation near Fortuna is expected to supply an additional 10 megawatts, though completion dates remain uncertain.

Senators explored interim fixes, including a floating power barge option. Financial constraints limit WAPA's options, as the utility struggles with mounting fuel expenses as diesel prices climb.

Lewis announced that his committee will host WAPA leadership at a November 23 session to brief the community on developments. "The people of the Virgin Islands cannot be expected to endure recurring outages without clear communication, measurable progress, and a plan they can understand," he said.