WAPA CEO to update PSC on blackouts, state of emergency

The V.I. Water and Power Authority’s latest CEO Karl Knight is set to testify before the Public Services Commission on Tuesday about the Authority’s major power failures and irregular billing.

For months, rolling blackouts have plagued residents throughout the territory, first on St. Croix, which prompted Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. to declare a local state of emergency in April. That declaration was extended after similar blackouts in the St. Thomas-St. John district.

In the meantime, the V.I. Department of Human Services announced Friday that households receiving SNAP food assistance may be eligible for replacement benefits due to unforeseen disasters. A qualifying event includes the loss of electricity for four or more hours, or malfunctioning refrigeration units.