Plaskett to Declare WAPA State of Emergency in January, Seek Federal Help; Taps Potter to Lead Government Overhaul

Governor-elect Stacey Plaskett plans to declare a state of emergency over the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority upon taking office in January and seek assistance from the federal government, including the U.S. Department of Energy, President of the United States and Congress, as part of an aggressive effort to address the territory's longstanding electricity crisis.

In her first interview following Tuesday night's landslide election victory, Plaskett told V.I. Consortium that reliable and affordable electricity would be among the immediate priorities of her administration. She also identified healthcare, housing and education as critical areas requiring attention, while revealing that Lieutenant Governor-elect Milton Potter has already been tasked with assembling a team to examine a comprehensive reorganization of the territorial government.

Potter, speaking separately during the same interview, expanded on that initiative, outlining plans to restructure government operations, retrain employees for expanded responsibilities, incorporate artificial intelligence where appropriate, establish public-facing performance dashboards and introduce a centralized 311 service to improve residents' access to government.

The announcements offered the clearest indication yet of how the incoming administration intends to translate its campaign commitments into action. Plaskett and Potter are scheduled to assume office on January 4, 2027, the first Monday in January, as prescribed by the Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands. Details of their inaugural ceremonies have not yet been announced.