WAPA CEO Prepares to Address PSC on Storm Restoration, Outages and Infrastructure Upgrades

Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority CEO Karl Knight

Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority CEO Karl Knight is set to face the Public Services Commission (PSC) on Tuesday, where he will confront mounting concerns over frequent power outages, the state of the utility’s infrastructure and slow progress of critical projects, along with public frustration over power restoration efforts in the wake of Tropical Storm Ernesto.

In an exclusive interview with the Source, Knight addressed the daunting challenge of eliminating power outages, acknowledging that a future without them is unlikely. “There’s always going to be outages—mechanical failures occur, equipment breaks down, there are storms,” Knight said, echoing the sentiments of his predecessor, Andy Smith, who previously told senators that the age of WAPA’s equipment makes a total overhaul impossible without significant capital investment. However, Knight emphasized WAPA’s efforts to minimize both the frequency and duration of outages, highlighting advancements in technology like battery energy storage and the ongoing effort to bury cables underground.