ST. THOMAS-ST. JOHN, U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS (April 14, 2026) – In response to urgent system reliability needs in the St. Thomas-St. John district, the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority (“WAPA” or “the Authority”) has advanced a coordinated emergency generation solution designed to strengthen near-term power stability and reduce the risk of extended outages on both islands.

Working in close collaboration across technical, operations, and procurement teams, and following unanimous Board approval at its emergency meeting yesterday, WAPA is moving forward with an emergency deployment strategy in partnership with Wagner Power Systems and MacAllister Machinery Company, Inc. The initiative includes the deployment of two (2) 3.0 megawatts (MW), one (1) 2.5 MW and two (2) 2.0 MW Caterpillar generator units.

A key technical advantage is that three of the power generation engines are already configured for 13.8 kV operation, eliminating the need for step-up transformers and enabling direct grid integration upon commissioning. This significantly streamlines installation timelines and reduces complexity in the field. The two 3.0 MW units, however, will require step-up transformers, which are already being sourced.

While standard industry lead times for similar equipment can extend up to 50 weeks, the team has prioritized an accelerated pathway to delivery and commissioning within approximately 4-6 months, reflecting the urgency of restoring and strengthening reliability in the district.

This effort reflects sustained, cross-functional collaboration across WAPA and local and federal partners. Teams are working to move quickly and responsibly, aligning with system needs and customer impact, while ensuring the effort does not interfere with the existing temporary generation project at the Randolph Harley Power Plant.

“We’re making steady progress on emergency generation because we understand the urgency of restoring reliability in the St. Thomas-St. John district,” noted Karl Knight, CEO and Executive Director of the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority. “These units represent the most expeditious path to delivering emergency power to St. John while continuing ongoing efforts at the Randolph Harley Power Plant. If we lose generation on St. Thomas, these units can come online to provide power to our St. John customers.”

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