Bryan May Declare Energy State of Emergency Tied to WAPA as Fuel Costs Increase; Other Price Mitigation Measures Being Taking; Battery Systems Under Consideration

Governor Albert Bryan may declare an energy state of emergency tied to the V.I. Water and Power Authority, an action the governor said is being weighed because of the unprecedented increase in the cost of fuel being driven by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Speaking during an interview with the Consortium Sunday, Mr. Bryan said residents feeling pain at the pump would also see shocking increases in their electricity bills by way of the Levelized Energy Adjustment Clause, or LEAC, which is the cost of fuel to WAPA that is passed on to consumers.

Mr. Bryan described the increases in electricity bills as "imminent" and said his administration has been thinking of different ways to offset the cost. "We were set before to do it but this new development in Ukraine is a whole different ball game now. We were not expecting gas prices to increase by 30 to 40 percent," he said.

The governor said while gas prices show the most immediate impact, other areas of the economy will be affected because of the importance of fuel in commerce. "We're working on some plans now to determine what we're going to do to respond on a whole, because it's not only gas, it's going to be reflected in food as well because transportation and energy cost more. So everything is going to increase as a result of this," he said.

The governor said most of the plans to mitigate costs will focus on WAPA. "We cannot have the energy rate go to where it was before. And depending on what happens we might have to declare some kind of energy emergency," the governor stated, though he had yet to decide what the declaration would entail.

The territory's leader said he had given directives to WAPA leadership and the V.I. Energy Office asking for ideas on fuel cost mitigation, and said responses were due Monday. The governor referred to the fuel prices as "absolutely ridiculous."

Currently, motorists on St. Croix are paying on average $4.50 for a gallon of unleaded regular gas; on St. Thomas some gas stations are selling a gallon of unleaded regular at $6, and St. John $5.