WAPA Board Approves 50-Year 6MW Solar Agreements For St. Croix

In a meeting held Thursday on St. Croix, the Governing Board of the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority (WAPA) voted to move forward with two 25-year power purchase agreements for the development of additional solar capacity on St. Croix.

The two units, which will be located in Estate Granard on the island’s eastern end and Estate White Bay on the western its western end, will generate a combined six megawatts of electricity which, when added to the four megawatts being generated by the mid-island Estate Spanish Town solar facility, and the five megawatts provided through net metering, will represent approximately 40 percent of St. Croix’s peak power demand.

The solar facilities will be developed by St. Croix Solar, LLC. The board did not say when construction on the facilities would begin.

Hugo V. Hodge, Jr., WAPA’s executive director said, “The power purchase and interconnection agreements approved by the board today will provide a long term, cost effective and source of electrical energy from a renewable source, while reducing the overall cost of electric energy for customers of the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority.”

Immediately following the board meeting, principals of St. Croix Solar and Hodge signed the agreements, which will now head to the Public Services Commission for approval.

The Board also took the following action:

⇒ Rescinded the Governing Board summary approval dated July 24, 1014 — award of a contract to Industrial Tank Cleaning and to allow the Authority to re-bid the proposal. Pursuant to the contract, Industrial Tank Cleaning was to provide sludge removal from the bottom of the oil storage vessels. After the contract was prepared, the company realized they could not perform the work as originally bid, due to higher shipping costs and availability of material. The Authority will rebid the contract to allow for more competitive bids.

⇒ Approved increases in Fiscal Year 2015 vehicle maintenance budgets for St. Thomas and St. Croix.

⇒ Acted favorably on a request to re-establish a customer deposit bank account. The account will segregate customer deposits from operating funds for accounting and record-keeping purposes.

⇒ Approved a contract for $437,300 to Leumus Engineering Group to repair and pave the Richmond pump station parking lot and driveway. The repair and paving would eliminate the excessive runoff from the parking lot, which currently accumulates in the power plant with the plant runoff.

Board members present at Thursday’s meeting were Chairman Atty. Gerald Groner, Vice Chair and Finance Committee Chair Juanita R. Young, Secretary Noel Loftus, as well as Donald Francois and Elizabeth Armstrong. Cheryl Boynes Jackson was excused.