💧 Water and Power · St. Croix, VI
WAPA board approved generator contract and St. Croix undergrounding projects
The Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority’s governing board on April 30, 2020, approved final terms for a contract with Wartsila North America for 36 megawatts of additional generation at the Randolph Harley Power Plant on St. Croix.
WAPA said the project included four dual-fuel generators and a battery storage system and was estimated to cost $74.4 million, with $62.4 million for the generators and $12 million for the battery system. According to the authority, the project was to be funded through a federal HUD grant.
The board also approved three federally funded St. Croix projects to underground electrical equipment at key locations. J. Benton Construction LLC received a $2.6 million contract for work at the Wilfred "Bomba" Allick Port and Transshipment Center at Krause Lagoon. V.I. Paving received a $2.9 million contract for the Midland Underground Project. Vivot of St. Croix was approved for a $1.7 million contract for undergrounding work in the Golden Grove area.
The board approved a change order of $202,337.07 for repairs to generating Unit 17 on St. Croix, bringing the final repair cost to $1.2 million.
On the water system, the board approved a Water Systems Master Plan, the first update since 1987, funded through a Department of the Interior grant. It also approved the purchase of a crane truck for the water division and a $59,632.50 increase and 83-day extension for the Christiansted Waterline Rehabilitation Phase 2 project, bringing that contract to $2.8 million and extending completion to January 2021.
In other action, the board approved the authority’s fiscal recovery plan, the finance division’s policy and procedures manual, a contract extension with Sustainable Capital Advisors LLC, an arbitration award involving the employees association union, the selection of Willis of Florida Inc. as insurance broker, $2 million in property insurance coverage for one year, and a three-year Microsoft Enterprise Agreement.
The board also authorized Executive Director Lawrence J. Kupfer to enter into a lease-to-own agreement with the Virgin Islands Port Authority to purchase real estate in Estate Nisky for $2.6 million for transmission and distribution facilities.
Kupfer told the board that generation had declined by about 8%, which he attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic.