Power Crisis State of Emergency and Elected AG Bill Defeated in Final Legislative Session

With WAPA’s state of emergency expiring and the push for an elected Attorney General denied, lawmakers wrapped up 2024 with critical votes reflecting sharp disagreements on governance and accountability.

A power crisis at the Water and Power Authority prompted Governor Albert Byran Jr. to declare a local state of emergency in April 2024 to — among other things — pay urgent attention to stabilizing WAPA’s finances. However, even while WAPA says that it is still walking a fiscal tightrope, lawmakers decided that the SOE will not continue into 2025. Senators rejected a further extension during the year's final legislative session.

In 2024, the heavily indebted water and electricity provider was often unable to provide continuous power generation throughout the territory. As components failed and fuel levels remained low, both unplanned and anticipated rolling blackouts became commonplace. Establishing the state of emergency allowed the Government of the Virgin Islands to tackle these challenges head-on, and an established incident command provided consistent guidance on the way forward for WAPA.