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WAPA reports progress on FEMA‑funded plant replacements, undergrounding, composite poles and microgrids; warns work remains
Summary
WAPA told the Legislature it has obligated roughly $4.5 billion for recovery and resilience projects, has spent about $892 million so far, and is advancing work on composite poles, undergrounding, microgrids and plant replacements while acknowledging continuing procurement, documentation and operational challenges.
The Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority (WAPA) presented an extensive status update on federally funded recovery, modernization and resilience projects, telling the Committee on Disaster Recovery, Infrastructure and Planning that while major investments are in place, work remains on project execution, vendor payments and procurement.
Joel Webster, WAPA’s director of grants management, said the authority has obligated more than $4.5 billion from federal sources for recovery and resilience work and has expended roughly $892 million to date. He described three broad lines of work: hardening the transmission and distribution system (composite poles and undergrounding), modernization (advanced metering and battery energy storage systems) and prudent replacement of generation equipment at the Randolph Harley (St. Thomas) and Richmond (St. Croix) power plants.
Composite poles and undergrounding: WAPA reported high completion percentages for the territory’s composite‑pole program — about 96% complete on St. Croix, 94% on St. Thomas (Feeder 13 bypass at 80%) and roughly 87% on St. John — with remaining work tied to final construction and local…
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