🏛️ Government · U.S. Virgin Islands
Bryan cited renewable energy and federal cost-share waiver at insular areas meeting in Washington
Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. told the Interior Department’s Interagency Group on Insular Areas plenary session in Washington on Feb. 8, 2023, that expanding renewable energy and waiving the federal local-match requirement for disaster recovery funds were the U.S. Virgin Islands’ main federal priorities.
Bryan also said the territory’s federal medical assistance percentage had been raised to 83% and described that change as a major healthcare gain for the Virgin Islands. He said the territory had pushed for Medicaid funding parity for more than two decades and thanked Delegate Stacey Plaskett for her role in advancing the legislation.
On disaster recovery, Bryan said the Virgin Islands had about $12 billion in repairs to complete and faced a local match requirement of nearly $1 billion. He said the requirement could be removed by the Biden administration and FEMA.
On energy, Bryan said the territory expected to have 85 megawatts of renewable energy within two years, which he said would equal the territory’s full load, though he said the Virgin Islands would not be entirely off fossil fuels.
After remarks from Bryan and other territorial governors, federal agencies gave presentations on infrastructure issues. Agencies listed in the Government House account included the departments of the Interior, Transportation, Energy, Agriculture and Commerce, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency and the Federal Communications Commission.
According to Government House, the 2023 plenary session focused on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in the territories.