News

US Virgin Islands Signs Agreement for Large-Scale Solar Power Project

By: Caribbean Journal Staff - June 5, 2012

Above: Governor John de Jongh and officials at the ceremony Monday (Photo: OG)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

The US Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority has signed solar power and purchase and interconnection agreements with three companies to provide energy for the territory.

The agreement will provide approximately nine megawatts of solar energy per district into WAPA’s electrical grid.

“There’s no doubt that for many of us, the issue of cost of energy is something that each of us is extremely sensitive to,” USVI Governor John de Jongh said following the ceremony Monday. “Today with the signing of these agreements, with the negotiations that have taken place, this is but one step in the process WAPA is taking to diversify its generation portfolio.”

The US Virgin Islands suffered a major blow to its energy supply when the HOVENSA oil refinery, the largest in the Caribbean, closed earlier this year. It had been the primary source of fuel for the territory.

According to WAPA Executive Director Hugo Hodge, Jr, the 18 megawatts of solar power will represent approximately 15 percent of the USVI’s peak load.

“This securing of a certain portion of our generation portfolio, which has no tied to a commodity that can fluctuate in the market, is a significant step,” Hodge said.

There will be three St Croix solar array sites placed across the island. On St Thomas, the solar arrays will be constructed on the canopy-covered parking at Tutu Park Mall, as well as near the Home Depot.

St John and Water Island, while not having any arrays of their own, will benefit from lower energy costs.

Construction of the sites, which will not require a cash outlay from WAPA or the government, will begin upon approval of the Public Services Commission of the rates to support the power purchases.

The companies that signed the agreements included Sun Edison, which has deployed similar projects in Puerto Rico and Hawaii, Lanco Group and Toshiba International.

Popular Posts caribbean travel

The Caribbean Travel Awards 2025

More than 32 million people visited the Caribbean in 2023, and that number should be eclipsed by the end of this year. In other words, the Caribbean is more popular than ever — deepening its position not just as the world’s […]


The Cool List: The Caribbean’s Coolest Places to Stay in 2025, From Adventure Resorts to Historic Inns 

caribbean resorts 2025

It was one of the first major guides we at Caribbean Journal ever put together: The Cool List, whose first edition was back in 2013 and which remains an unrivaled curation of unique, character-filled, personality-driven, artful hotels around the Caribbean. […]


The 25 Best Best Beach Bars in the Caribbean for 2025, From Aruba to St Barth to Eleuthera  

antigua catherines cafe

You can find the perfect island. You can book the perfect hotel. But your vacation hasn’t really begun until you pull up to your chair with an ice-cold cocktail at the perfect Caribbean beach bar. For all of the wonders […]


Related Posts st croix hotel beach

JetBlue Is Launching New Flights From San Juan, Puerto Rico to St Croix This Winter

JetBlue is set to kick off a brand-new route to St Croix in the US Virgin Islands, Caribbean Journal has learned. It’s the newest way to get to the culinary capital of the US Virgin Islands, which is hotter than […]


Caribbean Photo of the Week: Sunset on the Boardwalk in St Croix, USVI

st croix sunset on the boardwalk

Have you ever taken a stroll on the boardwalk in Christiansted? The latest Caribbean Photo is a beautiful shot of St Croix’s famous waterside promenade. Caribbean Journal reader Eric Schaeffer took the photo on last week while on a vacation […]


A Tiny Solar-Powered Hotel Is Opening in Eleuthera, Built Around a Working Farm 

solar eleuthera farm

You may know the Ocean View Club, the chic retreat on Harbour Island’s Pink Sand Beach. What you may not know that the sought-after little hotel is part of a broader collection, one called Little Island Hotels, that also includes […]