Governor Bryan Acknowledges Residents’ Frustration Over Power Outages, Reaffirms Commitment to Strengthening WAPA
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 25, 2026
Governor Bryan Acknowledges Residents’ Frustration Over Power Outages, Reaffirms Commitment to Strengthening WAPA
Administration supporting immediate repairs while advancing power plant replacements, additional generating capacity and renewable energy investments
U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS — Governor Albert Bryan Jr. on Saturday acknowledged the frustration and hardships experienced by residents of St. Thomas and St. John following several days of widespread power outages, assuring the public that his administration remains committed to advancing investments to strengthen the Territory’s electrical system and improve long-term reliability.
Although electricity had been fully restored to the district by Saturday evening, the Governor recognized the disruption the outages have caused to households, businesses, schools and government operations, as well as residents’ concerns about the continued stability of electrical service.
“I know the people of St. Thomas and St. John have had a rough couple of days, and I know the frustration is real,” Governor Bryan said. “I spend a good deal of my time in the district, so I know how disruptive these outages can be. But it’s a whole different thing when you’re losing food, missing work, spending money on gas for a generator or worrying about an
elderly family member who depends on electricity. Our students have had their learning disrupted, businesses have been affected, and government operations have been interrupted. I understand what people are going through, and I know they deserve better.”
Over the past several days, the Governor and his administration have remained in close communication with the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority (WAPA), supporting efforts to repair and restore Unit 27 at the Randolph Harley Power Plant to full operating capacity, including expediting critical replacement parts from Missouri and Texas.
The Governor also expressed his appreciation to WAPA’s plant operators, line crews and technical personnel for their continued efforts to restore electrical service under difficult circumstances.
“I want to thank the men and women of WAPA who have been working around the clock to get the lights back on,” Governor Bryan said. “I know these outages have been difficult for them as well, and I appreciate their dedication to restoring service as quickly and safely as possible.”
“We have been working on WAPA’s challenges from the beginning, whether it was permanently resolving the Vitol matter, helping stabilize electricity costs or bringing in more efficient generation. What we did not anticipate was having so many critical units unavailable at the same time. That is why getting additional generation in place is so important.”
The unavailability of generating Units 15, 23 and 27 over the past year has compounded the district’s generation shortages, leaving WAPA with limited backup capacity to withstand equipment failures without interrupting service.
The Wärtsilä generating units were acquired to supplement WAPA’s legacy generation infrastructure, which sustained damage during Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017. They were not intended to serve as replacements for all of the utility’s older generating units.
WAPA is an autonomous public utility governed by its own board, with management responsible for daily operations, including electricity generation, equipment maintenance and service restoration. The Bryan-Roach Administration has continued supporting the financing, energy policies and infrastructure investments necessary to strengthen the utility and improve its long-term sustainability.
Among those efforts is WAPA’s existing contract with the R-G Engineering/Javelin Gramercy Ventures Joint Venture to replace generating infrastructure at the Randolph Harley Power Plant on St. Thomas and the Estate Richmond Power Plant on St. Croix.
Under the contract, WAPA has already procured 10 megawatts of standby generating capacity for St. John. Temporary generating equipment has also been ordered to provide additional capacity at the Territory’s power plants while the larger replacement projects advance.
The Governor emphasized that securing additional generation for the St. Thomas-St. John District remains a priority and that the principal challenge is now the time required to bring that capacity online, rather than the availability of funding.
Repairs to Units 15 and 23, the development of solar facilities at Estates Bovoni and Fortuna, and the acquisition and installation of temporary generating equipment all involve substantial lead times. Manufacturing schedules, equipment availability, national and global policies, and other supply chain factors have affected delivery timelines, many of which are outside the
direct control of the Government of the Virgin Islands and Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority.
“The St. Thomas-St. John District needs additional generation, and we are working to get it in place,” Governor Bryan said. “At this point, the biggest challenge is not money. It is time. We have projects under contract, equipment on order and investments moving forward, but some of these things cannot happen overnight. I understand that is little comfort to someone sitting
at home without power, but we are doing everything within our control to move these projects forward.”
Since taking office, the Bryan-Roach Administration has prioritized addressing WAPA’s longstanding financial and infrastructure challenges. No other administration has made such commitments to improving our energy infrastructure. The improvements on St. Croix are proof that our policies to improving the territory’s energy infrastructure is working.
These efforts include four federally funded generators totaling 10 megawatts for St. John and expanded solar and battery storage projects across the Territory. On St. Croix, the administration has advanced renewable energy investments at Estates Petronella and Hogensborg, where a 22.4-megawatt solar farm was commissioned in June 2025. Similar projects at Estates Bovoni and Fortuna on St. Thomas are expected to add approximately 35 megawatts of generating capacity, reducing dependence on imported fuel and aging equipment.
“We have seen on St. Croix what a difference it makes when you have more energy sources supporting the system,” Governor Bryan said. “That is what we are working toward on St. Thomas with Bovoni and Fortuna. We need to get away from depending on a handful of aging units to carry the entire load. It takes time, but that is why we have been making these investments.”
Recognizing the financial hardship caused by the outages, Governor Bryan on Saturday also authorized Department of Human Services Commissioner Averil George to request information from WAPA to begin the process of seeking federal approval for assistance to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients who lost food purchased with their benefits because of the power interruptions.
Earlier this week, Governor Bryan also transmitted a $250 million bond-financing proposal to the 36th Legislature, including $40 million in proposed financial assistance for WAPA to address outstanding obligations and support its financial stability.
The Governor said his administration will continue working with WAPA to address immediate generation shortages while pursuing the infrastructure improvements necessary to establish a more reliable and sustainable electrical system.
“At the end of the day, people are not interested in how many projects we have or how much money we have invested if they cannot depend on their electricity,” Governor Bryan said. “And I understand that. We have made progress, but there is more to do. I cannot promise there will not be another outage, but I can tell our people we have not been sitting idle. We have been tackling these problems for years, and we will keep doing the work.”
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