Four New Units Will Provide 10 Megawatts of Standby Capacity as Administration Continues Work to Improve Reliability and Modernize Territory’s Energy Grid
U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS — Governor Albert Bryan Jr. on Wednesday announced the arrival in the Territory of four new standby generators that will provide 10 megawatts of additional backup generation capacity to support St. John and strengthen the St. Thomas-St. John electric system.
The four Cummins 2.5-megawatt generator sets arrived Wednesday following shipment from Alabama earlier this month. The units are scheduled to be transported Thursday from the Crown Bay area to the Randolph Harley Power Plant as the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority and its contractor advance the remaining work required for installation, testing and commissioning.
Governor Bryan said the delivery marks another step in his administration’s continued effort to support WAPA in improving reliability and building a more efficient and resilient energy system.
“The arrival of these generators is another important step toward our goal of building a more reliable, efficient and resilient energy system for the Virgin Islands,” Governor Bryan said. “When St. John faced serious reliability challenges earlier this year, I made clear that we needed to strengthen the system serving the island and move dedicated backup generation forward. Our administration has worked with WAPA and our federal partners to provide the support and resources needed to make that happen.
“This work is part of a broader effort to replace aging generation, improve transmission, expand solar and battery storage, and bring more efficient energy resources onto the grid. What matters is steady progress that people can see and, more importantly, feel in the reliability of their service. These generators move us closer to that goal, and we will keep the work moving across the Territory.”
Governor Bryan thanked the Government of the Virgin Islands’ federal partners, the Office of Disaster Recovery and WAPA for their work in advancing the project.
“I am grateful to our federal partners for continuing to support the Virgin Islands as we rebuild and strengthen our infrastructure, and I thank the teams at ODR and WAPA for the work required to move this project forward,” Governor Bryan said. “Getting projects like this from planning to delivery takes persistence and coordination. We have to keep that focus on getting these investments into service and producing better results for the people of the Virgin Islands.”
The generator equipment represents an approximately $8 million investment funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency through the Territory’s ongoing disaster recovery program. The project is being advanced by WAPA and the Office of Disaster Recovery in partnership with contractor RG Engineering.
The additional standby generation is one component of the work underway to strengthen electric service to St. John. WAPA is also advancing the Cabrita Point Distribution Circuit Redundancy Project, which will repair and reconnect the submarine cable circuit and restore a redundant electrical connection to the island. That redundancy will give the Authority greater flexibility to reroute power during maintenance, equipment failures and unexpected outages.
The projects are part of the broader effort supported by the Bryan-Roach Administration to modernize the Territory’s energy infrastructure through newer and more efficient generation, transmission improvements, renewable energy and battery storage.
The generators underwent load testing in May, and required air permits have been secured from the Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources. Remaining building permits are being pursued, with construction expected to begin in September. Installation, commissioning, testing and startup are projected for completion by January 2027.
Because of the size and weight of the equipment, Thursday’s movement of the generators from Crown Bay will require specialized transportation equipment and coordinated traffic-control measures.
WAPA and its contractor are coordinating with the Virgin Islands Port Authority, Virgin Islands Police Department and Department of Public Works to safely transport the generators while minimizing disruption to motorists. Temporary road closures, traffic restrictions and controlled traffic movements may be necessary along portions of the route.
Residents are encouraged to avoid the Crown Bay area and designated transportation route Thursday morning when possible, allow additional travel time and follow directions from traffic-control personnel and posted signage.
Governor Bryan said his administration will continue supporting WAPA and working with federal partners to move critical energy projects forward.
“We know what Virgin Islanders expect from their electric system,” Governor Bryan said. “Our responsibility is to keep these projects moving, get the equipment into service and make sure these investments translate into greater reliability for the people we serve.”
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