St. Croix, USVI – The community has lost faith in the V.I. Water & Power Authority’s ability to reliably generate power and the Governor should immediately request technical assistance from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Senator Samuel Carrión said Wednesday.
“This is not just a matter of throwing more money at the problem,” Senator Carrión said. “WAPA has admitted to fuel shortages, but in just the last few weeks alone they have also blamed generators tripping, multiple problems with underground cables, tree limbs, faulty transmission lines, downed poles, and the list goes on. We clearly need greater expertise at WAPA to get a handle on what is taking place.”
Senator Carrión said he wrote his letter to the Governor with an abundant sense of concern for the people of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
“In recent weeks we have experienced an unprecedented number of power outages throughout the entire territory. As a result of these repeated outages – which have been blamed on a wide variety of issues – our people have truly suffered, businesses have been shuttered, school has been dismissed, and our community has endured untold stress and economic loss,” Senator Carrión
wrote to Governor Albert A. Bryan. “On April 24, 2024 you issued a State of Emergency Declaration in order to avert an energy crisis. Sir, that energy crisis has not been averted, it is here.”
Senator Carrión said the territory must make full use of the Emergency Declaration and that it afforded the Governor extraordinary powers, to include, the ability to seek federal assistance.
“It’s not just about money, we need to ask for help,” he said. “I am imploring the Governor to immediately request technical assistance from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as to the operation of our power plants and grid. WAPA’s problems are clearly not only financial. There
are major issues with how power is both generated and distributed. At the very least, Army Corps should be able to offer us some guidance.”
Senator Carrión said he worked closely with federal agencies, including the Army Corps, following Hurricanes Irma and Maria.
“I am certain this agency can provide the necessary expertise to help WAPA better manage its equipment and resources” he said. “Residents of St. John, St. Thomas and St. Croix have lost all faith in WAPA. At this point, many justifiably fear we could go dark for an extended period. We have lost the Authority’s Chief Executive Officer, we have entered hurricane season and our ability to effectively generate and distribute power is clearly already tenuous. The time for action is now.”
The Senator noted that in recent weeks students had been sent home from school as a result of power outages.
“Our students have already lost numerous instruction days because of the hurricanes and COVID,” he said. “We just can’t go on like this. In no way are rotating outages remotely acceptable. We are also experiencing extreme heat right now and people just can’t live like this, businesses are literally closing, electronics and appliances are destroyed with each power surge. Let’s ask for help before things get any worse.”