St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands (April 11, 2025) – The Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority (“WAPA” or the “Authority”) is providing an update on the series of events that began with a districtwide outage at approximately 9:45 a.m. on Thursday, April 10, 2025.

Earlier Thursday, a safety shutdown of our control system was triggered, resulting in the loss of propane supply to all active generating units. This safety mechanism was activated to protect the health and safety of WAPA personnel and contractors working at the Randolph Harley Power Plant (RHPP). The system responded as designed to prevent potential injury or damage during ongoing operations.

Thanks to the swift response of our Operations and Maintenance contractor, Saintnals, the issue was resolved, and the control system was safely restored yesterday. Coordination with Saintnals at the propane terminal helped bring propane supply back online. However, WAPA is currently experiencing a shortage in generating capacity due to several units undergoing mechanical repairs.

At this time, Unit 15 is operational alongside four of the seven Wartsila engines and the Donoe solar farm. While we are working diligently to bring at least one additional generating unit back into service today, the current generation shortfall requires the continuation of rotating outages in order to maintain overall system stability.

Customers may experience temporary service interruptions throughout the evening until sufficient generation is brought back online. We recognize the inconvenience this poses to our community and assure the public that full restoration remains our priority.

WAPA appreciates the patience, support and understanding of our customers as our teams work around the clock to stabilize the system and restore service to all customers on the St. Thomas/St. John district.

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.