Government paid $2.3 million to WAPA on behalf of Waste Management Authority

The Virgin Islands government paid $2,316,889.64 to the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority on April 23, 2024, on behalf of the Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority to reduce that agency’s arrears, Government House said.

Government House said the payment followed Gov. Albert Bryan Jr.’s April 22, 2024, declaration of a state of emergency aimed at addressing energy security issues. The declaration allowed access to the territory’s Budget Stabilization Fund to pay more than $11 million in debts owed by semi-autonomous entities to WAPA.

According to Government House, the April 23 payment was intended to allow WAPA to settle debts with Aggreko and maintain the operation and leasing of generators needed to avoid rotating outages on St. Croix.

Government House also said the Virgin Islands government paid just over $4 million to WAPA on April 12, 2024, for regular monthly bills from the Single Payer Utility Fund and on behalf of Gov. Juan F. Luis Hospital and Schneider Regional Medical Center.

In the statement, Bryan said he had proposed a consolidated financial oversight measure for semi-autonomous agencies during a December 2023 meeting with members of the 35th Legislature, but the proposal was not taken up.

Government House said the Bryan administration had addressed more than $26 million in outstanding debts to WAPA since January 2019.

Official source: https://www.vi.gov/governor-bryan-announces-2-3-million-payment-to-wapa-addressing-territorys-urgent-energy-needs/