On behalf of the People of St. John, it is imperative that we hear from the Governor, the CEO of WAPA, Virgin Islands District Senators, the Senator at Large, St. John Administrator, and the Public Services Commission Officials. While some of these parties do not run WAPA day to day, they do have oversight, budgetary, advocacy, legal, and/or policy responsibilities that can help to resolve the island’s Energy Crisis.

The people of St. John should not have to wait a full week for a town hall meeting to receive information and critical solutions during an extended power outage. Timely communication is essential during a crisis. We should not be ignored by the Governor and leaders while they golf and rub shoulders at lavish weekend events. 

Within the last two months, St. John has experienced two power outages exceeding 24 hours. The most recent 50-hour power outage began Saturday March 14th at about 10:00 pm and ended on Tuesday March 17 around 12:30 am. On March 19th , we experienced another power outage. 

There seems to be no foreseeable end to the suffering. This is indeed a State of Emergency!

These repeated, extended power outages are inhumane and have severely disrupted the day-to-day lives and financial stability of our residents, business owners, and visitors alike. Where is the empathy for our elders who depend on refrigerated medication, families watching their food spoil, children unable to bathe after school or complete their homework, and the residents and business owners whose appliances and livelihoods are being damaged by these repeated outages? These outages also take a significant mental and emotional toll on our community.

We expect our leaders to lead, especially during crises. Yet, it is evident that our current leadership has chosen to remain largely silent, and speak at their convenience. We feel abandoned, and are calling for our Governor and other government officials to take actions that bring relief and long-term energy stability to the people of St. John. We remind our leaders that electricity is a necessity, not a luxury. Our community deserves a utility provider that stands by its customers during the hardest of times.

We recognize the hard work of WAPA’s linemen and staff and appreciate their efforts. We stand in solidarity with you as we ask our officials for urgent communication, immediate relief for affected residents, and decisive action to resolve longstanding energy failures and end the neglect of the St. John community.

We demand the following actions, which are necessary to address both the immediate crisis and the long-term stability of St. John’s energy system:

1. A State of Emergency be established by the Governor to activate all available disaster relief mechanisms, including food replacement benefits for SNAP recipients and expanded access to disaster nutrition assistance for affected residents. No resident should be left without support for food loss during this crisis. A coordinated effort with Government House, the Department of Human Services, and other agencies must ensure on-island access to these benefits. For future outages, the Government must implement a clear emergency relief plan outlining food assistance, medical support, access to charging stations for phones and essential devices, and other essential services.
2. WAPA makes its claims process for outage-related losses clear, accessible, and widely communicated to all ratepayers. This includes transparent information on how to file a claim, what losses are eligible for reimbursement, and expected timelines for processing. WAPA must also publicly report on the effectiveness of this process, including the number of claims submitted and the percentage approved and denied annually for the past five years. 
3. WAPA establishes and clearly communicates a standard policy for bill credits during extended outages, including a base credit after 24 hours and additional credits for each subsequent 24-hour period without service. This policy must be transparent, consistently applied, and widely communicated to all ratepayers.
4. WAPA improves its transparency about the causes of widespread outages and significantly improves its communication during service disruptions. This includes providing regular, real-time updates to the public, with text alerts issued at consistent intervals during outages. For outages exceeding 24 hours, WAPA must hold daily public briefings with opportunities for media engagement and ensure advance notice and live streaming across accessible platforms.
5. Immediate public updates on the 2019 federally funded project to install two standby four-megawatt generating units in Coral Bay and Cruz Bay. WAPA’s communication must provide details on the cause of delays, current status, clear timelines for completion, and full accounting of funds received and spent. We demand delivery of what was promised to the people of St. John!
6. A clear, accessible resilience plan for St. John that outlines how outages will be prevented, managed, and responded to moving forward. WAPA must uphold its commitments to the people of St. John. In a 2019 press release WAPA outlined its intention to strengthen transmission and distribution systems through undergrounding, composite poles, and hardened substations; upgrade generation to improve reliability; and integrate renewable energy, including wind, solar, and battery storage.

We encourage everyone who signed this petition to show up for one another by attending the Town Hall Meeting on Tuesday, March 24, from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM at the Julius E. Sprauve School Cafeteria, or by joining the livestream on WAPA’s Facebook page. Please also attend the St. John Community Action WAPA Protest, in the Downtown Cruz Bay Area (Exact Location To Be Announced) at 4:00 pm, to stand together and demand accountability, relief, and solutions to our energy crisis. Our voices matter, and this is a moment for our community to be present, informed, and united.