St. Thomas-St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands (September 14, 2026) — The Virgin Islands Water & Power Authority (“WAPA” or “the Authority”) has completed the final phase of the Feeder 13 Bypass Project, marking an important step in improving the electric system serving St. Thomas and St. John. The project replaced an aging and unreliable underground transmission line with a new FEMA-funded overhead transmission pathway, providing greater reliability for the transmission system.
During the post-Irma/Maria recovery period, the reduced availability of the transmission network has been a significant factor affecting service reliability and outage frequency. Completion of the Feeder 13 Bypass provides an additional transmission pathway that will reduce the impact of unplanned outages caused by transmission line faults and provide greater flexibility during planned outages required for work across the transmission and distribution system. This is particularly important as WAPA conducts work on other transmission and distribution lines, including Feeder 9A, Feeder 11, and Feeder 12, where additional outages may otherwise be required.
The planned outage on Sunday, September 13, began at 11:00 a.m., with restoration originally estimated for 6:00 p.m. Despite extensive planning and preparation, crews encountered unexpected challenges that delayed restoration. Afternoon rainfall temporarily halted live testing for the safety of line crews, pushing the restoration estimate later into the evening. Once testing resumed, crews identified faulted hardware at interconnection points, so power could not be restored while Haugland VI, the project contractor, addressed the issue.
Haugland VI completed the necessary repairs at approximately 2:00 a.m. WAPA crews then completed the restoration process, returning full electrical service to impacted customers at approximately 3:00 a.m.
Commissioning the Feeder 13 transmission line required extensive testing and verification to ensure each step was completed safely and correctly, helping protect generating equipment at the Randolph Harley Power Plant. The line has now been fully tested and commissioned.
WAPA recognizes the frustration and disruption caused by the extended outage, particularly for customers preparing for the workweek and school. WAPA apologizes to customers who were without power significantly longer than expected. We understand the additional time without power was difficult, and we appreciate the public’s support and understanding as crews worked to complete this important project.
Looking ahead, the completed project, supported by approximately $17 million in FEMA funding, will provide more opportunities for WAPA to carry out needed maintenance and improvements while minimizing disruptions for customers.
The Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority Communications Department is committed to reaching, informing, and connecting with the youngest members of the community to the eldest, through meaningful, transparent and effective communication.