ST. THOMAS, U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS — Members of the 36^th Legislature convened in the Committee of the Whole, led by Senate President Milton E. Potter, convened in a meeting at the Capitol Building. Officials from the Virgin Islands Water Authority (WAPA) provided testimony regarding ongoing electrical service interruptions in the St. Thomas–St. John District. Lawmakers examined recent outages, the condition of key generation units, the underlying causes of disruptions, and WAPA’s plans to improve reliability, as well as customer communication practices and any support needed from the Legislature to strengthen service across the district.

Senate President Milton E. Potter emphasized that the people of the Virgin Islands deserve consistent, reliable service and clear answers when disruptions occur, noting that the Legislature remains committed to ensuring accountability, advancing solutions, and working collaboratively to stabilize and strengthen the Territory’s energy infrastructure.

The Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority (WAPA) Executive Director and CEO Karl Knight acknowledged the significant challenges faced over the past several weeks, emphasizing that the recent outages were not caused by a single issue, but by a series of compounding events that exposed the fragility of an aging and constrained system. He outlined severe weather in early February, equipment failures, transmission disruptions including vandalism and most critically, the failure of Unit 15 at the Randolph Harley Power Plant contributed to prolonged outages and rotational service interruptions across the St. Thomas–St. John District. Additionally, limited generation capacity, ongoing maintenance constraints, and reduced system redundancy left WAPA with little margin for error, particularly as key units were offline or operating beyond their intended lifespan.

Addressing concerns related to alleged vandalism and infrastructure security, Senator Kurt Vialet stated that any act of tampering with critical infrastructure that results in district-wide outages warrants serious legal scrutiny, emphasizing that a federal investigation should be initiated, as filing a local police report alone is insufficient given the severity of the impact on the community. Senator Alma Francis Heyliger noted that she will await the findings of the Virgin Islands Police Department investigation, expressing concern that the Territory’s aging infrastructure may be a contributing factor and stating that she is not yet convinced the damage was the result of deliberate tampering.

Separately, Knight further detailed WAPA’s path forward, highlighting a series of short-, intermediate-, and long-term initiatives aimed at stabilizing and strengthening the electrical system. These include near-term infrastructure repairs, emergency generation solutions for St. John, and system automation improvements, as well as longer-term investments in new generation units, solar energy development, battery storage, and transmission upgrades. He also underscored the Authority’s longstanding financial challenges, noting that rising operational costs and years of deferred maintenance have strained resources and limited system reliability. Lastly, Knight emphasized the need for legislative support, regulatory stability, and continued investment to modernize infrastructure, improve customer communication, and restore public trust in the Authority’s ability to deliver reliable service.

Executive Director of the Virgin Islands Public Services Commission Sandra Setorie testified that the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority must transition from a financial liability to a stable and reliable utility capable of supporting economic growth. Officials highlighted ongoing financial instability, noting that high rates, limited cash flow, and increasing customer migration to solar alternatives continue to challenge the Authority’s long-term viability. The need for new base-load generation, particularly on St. Croix along with continued investment in renewable energy sources, was identified as critical to reducing fuel cost volatility and improving system resilience. The Commission underscored its role in enforcing accountability through binding timelines, formal regulatory oversight, and performance monitoring, stressing that recovery efforts must be measurable and action-driven rather than aspirational. Concerns were also raised regarding delays in infrastructure coordination and limited responsiveness from key agencies involved in major energy projects. Ongoing rate investigations were described as essential to ensuring utilities are financially sound and operationally capable of delivering reliable service.

Senators in attendance includes Milton E. Potter, Ray Fonseca, Avery L. Lewis, Novelle E. Francis, Jr., Kenneth L. Gittens, Dwayne M. DeGraff, Franklin D. Johnson, Alma Francis Heyliger, Marvin A. Blyden, Angel L. Bolques, Jr., Marise C. James, Hubert L. Frederick, Carla J. Joseph, Clifford A. Joseph, Sr., and Kurt A. Vialet.

The Division of Public Affairs remains committed to keeping the public informed on legislative proceedings and health-related developments. For more information, visit legvi.org.

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Press Contact: Africah N.T. Harrigan

Email: aharrigan@legvi.org