💧 Water and Power · U.S. Virgin Islands
WAPA board approved project extensions and reported facility, fleet and pension updates
The Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority said its governing board, meeting in late October 2022, approved several project actions and received updates on facilities, equipment and pension payments.
WAPA said its line department had moved from the Bolongo Bay site to Market Square East, a change the authority said would reduce rent by $22,000 a month. Chief Executive Officer Andrew Smith also told the board that three new bucket trucks were en route to the territory.
The board approved a no-cost time extension for the Randolph Harley Power Plant Wartsila New Generation Project, which WAPA said was expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2023. The project included installation of four 9-megawatt Wartsila engines and a 9-megawatt battery energy storage system at the St. Thomas plant.
The board also approved a 53-day extension for the Cruz Bay Feeder 7E underground contract and authorized a $695,250 increase for the Clifton Hill Waterline Rehabilitation Project, which WAPA attributed primarily to higher material costs. WAPA said funding for that waterline project was provided through the Department of Planning and Natural Resources.
WAPA said it had made $1.8 million in catch-up payments to the Government Employees' Retirement System and expected to be current on employer contributions by April 2023.
During the meeting, Smith also said a report that a WAPA Tesla vehicle had been destroyed was inaccurate, stating that no Tesla vehicles in the authority's possession had been wrecked.