U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS – The Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority (“WAPA” or “Authority”) would like to provide an update on the series of electrical service interruptions that began Monday, January 8, 2024, on St. Croix.

The Authority’s fuel supplier, Saintanals, discovered an issue Monday morning affecting the functionality of their export pump, which provides propane to the Authority’s Aggreko generating units at the Estate Richmond Power Plant. As a result of this issue, the Aggreko units were unable to operate and a major disruption to electrical service occurred.

Implementing its established contingency plan, WAPA initiated Generation Unit 20, which successfully restored service to several feeders across the island. Plant operators then energized Generation Unit 17. Although the initial activation of Unit 17 was successful, the Aggreko’s were not able to stabilize and tripped due to feedback from the Aggreko units. This caused the island-wide electrical disruption on St. Croix.

Through persistent efforts, WAPA plant operators were able to bring the majority of Estate Richmond’s generation back online, gradually restoring power to most of St. Croix customers by 3:30 PM and fully restoring island-wide service by 4:30 PM. As of today, the Richmond plant is meeting generation needs for all customers; however, back up units are being repaired or are scheduled for regular maintenance.

WAPA thanks the community for its patience and understanding during this unforeseen disruption. We assure residents that our teams are diligently working to resolve all issues and restore operations to their optimal state.

The Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority Communication’s department is committed to reaching, informing, and connecting with the youngest members of the community to the eldest, through meaningful, transparent and effective communication.

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