WAPA Seeks State of Emergency Extension as Blackouts Loom; Senators Demand Reform

In a tense session before the 35th Legislature, Karl Knight, CEO of the V.I. Water and Power Authority and Kevin McCurdy, Finance commissioner, faced tough scrutiny from senators as they pleaded for an extension of the state of emergency for the troubled utility.

Despite the intense grilling and demands for greater transparency, lawmakers ultimately approved the 60-day extension, ensuring that WAPA would continue receiving critical support through November. The state of emergency, first declared in April, has been essential to keeping the territory’s power grid operational amid WAPA’s severe financial distress. WAPA currently faces a $6 million monthly deficit, and officials warned that without the extension, delayed fuel payments could result in rolling blackouts across the Virgin Islands. “Without this extension, there is a real risk that we could see the return of rolling blackouts,” McCurdy cautioned.

However, senators were not quick to grant the extension without addressing long-standing frustrations over WAPA’s financial mismanagement and delayed reforms. Sen. Marvin Blyden challenged Knight on how vendor payments were being prioritized, while Sen. Alma Francis Heyliger expressed concern over WAPA’s failure to provide audited financial reports. “We haven’t seen an audit from WAPA since 2020,” Francis Heyliger stated. “How can we extend this state of emergency when we don’t even have a clear picture of WAPA’s financial health?”`