Committee on Disaster Recovery, Infrastructure and Planning

The Committee on Disaster Recovery, Infrastructure and Planning has scheduled a meeting for Thursday, October 16, 2025 in the Frits E. Lawaetz Legislative Conference Room at 10:00 A.M. to discuss and consider the following:

BLOCK I

Bill No. 36-0135        An act amending title 29 Virgin Islands Code, chapter 5, section 294 regarding expedited building permits for developers.

Invited Testifier:
Honorable Jean-Pierre Oriol, Commissioner, Department of Planning and Natural Resources

 BLOCK II

The Committee will receive an update from the Department of Planning and Natural Resources with a focus on the implementation of the Comprehensive Land and Water Use Plan, including a review of:

• Progress made to date
• Current or anticipated challenges
• The projected timeline for next steps in the implementation process

Invited Testifier:
Honorable Jean-Pierre Oriol, Commissioner, Department of Planning and Natural Resources

BLOCK III

The Committee will receive testimony from the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority on the status of FEMA-funded power plant upgrades and recovery projects at, including a review of:

• Progress on FEMA-funded replacement of the Richmond Power Plant on St. Croix and unit upgrades at the Randolph Harley Plant on St. Thomas, including the design-build solicitation process and anticipated construction timeline.
• Critical resilience projects such as undergrounding of electrical lines, installation of advanced composite utility poles, battery energy storage systems, and advanced metering.
• Integration of the recently commissioned solar farms on St. Croix into the WAPA power grid and their impact on system reliability, as well as any plans for solar development and integration in the St. Thomas–St. John district.

Invited Testifiers:
Lemuel Lavinier, Chief Operating Officer, Electric System, Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority
Noel Hodge, Chief Engineer, Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority
Vernon Alexander, Director of Special Projects, Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority
Maxwell George, Director of Project Management, Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority
Joelle Webster, Director of Grants Management, Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority