Alternative Energy Powers USVI Amid WAPA Blackouts & Outages
With WAPA power outages becoming more common in St. John, St. Thomas, and throughout the Virgin Islands, local businesses, residents, and tourists are relying more on alternative sources of power.
The news about blackouts in the USVI has been circulating the internet all year.
According to the St. Thomas Source, shortly after Jennifer Granholm, U.S. Secretary of Energy, visited the Randolph Harley Power Plant in St. Thomas this July (2024) to look into the power outages plaguing the USVI, another blackout hit the island, punctuating the prevalence of problem with WAPA.
USVI Power Outage Chart
Source David Silverman via Facebook
Coral Bay USVI resident, David Silverman shared the above chart on Facebook of how the USVI power outages look over the course of a few days in July 2024 (outages are the red bars). He notes that St. John gets its electricity from a single 20 year old underwater cable that runs from Red Hook to Cruz Bay. It was installed in 2004 to replace a 19 year old cable that had failed (which means this one could fail at any time). If it fails, St. John might experience power outages for weeks, underscoring the need for attention to many underlying issues threatening the reliability of a power grid that the residents, businesses, and tourists depend on.
On Reddit in July 2024, one post questioned whether there were still power outages in St. John and St. Thomas. The responses highlighted how bad the situation is, and that WAPA is not a reliable source of electricity. Even when the power comes back on, it could just as easily flicker off again the same day, or the following day.
WAPA Blames The Heat Instead Of Taking Responsibility For The Real Reasons For The Power Outages
In a September 2024, WAPA publicly commented about the concerns in the community around power outages, blaming the problem on high heat and high demand. Instead of scaling to provide enough electricity for current demands or addressing underlying problems, WAPA has put the onus on its customers and advised everyone to simply conserve power by using less of it.
Residents have pointed out situations where WAPA could have averted the reasons causing the power outages. For example, David Silverman said in this Facebook post that WAPA doesn’t do vegetation management that could prevent trees or their limbs from falling on the power lines, which may cause many of the outages especially during and after hurricanes or other strong storms. Silverman also points to what looks like power company and government deals that misappropriates funds without actually helping to solve this vital issue.
St. John Businesses Have Evolved And Invested In Alternative Power
In one Reddit post this September 2024 someone mentioned that tourism is unlikely to suffer because WAPA has been unreliable for fifty years and businesses in the Virgin Islands have had to evolve to solve the power outages themselves. Many tourists may not even notice when the WAPA grid goes down if they are at a place that has invested in off-the-grid alternative forms of energy.
For those who visit the USVI, it is highly advisable to visit businesses that have solar power back-ups or some form of alternative electricity when a blackout hits.
A List Of St. John Business's With Alternative Power Backups (Solar, Gas, Diesel etc.)
BARS and RESTAURANTS
Long Board
Tap & Still
Dave and Jerry’s Island Steakhouse
Hightide Bar and Seafood Grill
Upstairs Bar
420 to Center
Cruz Bay Landing
The Terrace
The Tap Room - St. John Brewers
Morgans Mango
Windmill Bar
Shaibu’s Gourmet Grab & Go
The Refinery
Surf Club Cantina
Sam and Jacks
Irie Pop
Skinny Legs
Rhumblines
Beach Bar
Shambles
Sun Dog Cafe
Cafe Roma
Lime Out
1864
Giovanni Gelato and Coffee Shop
St. Jonn Speakeasy
RETAIL SHOPS
Low Key Watersports
Just Beach
Portico
Caravan Gallary
Golden Hour
Businesses that plan to install solar energy soon, according to VI Solar Technologies, are:
Brewtique
Songbird
StJ Experience Gallery
Northshore Deli
ACC
School of the Arts
Lime Inn
Disclaimer: This list was compiled by asking the St. John community on Facebook. Island Roots Charters has not verified personally with each business.
For residents interested in considering alternative power for the home or business, here is a table below with the different types being used in the USVI:
| Alternative Power Source | Challenges | Examples in Use |
|---|---|---|
| Solar (with Batteries) | Shipping delays, high upfront costs, possible need for roof upgrades. | Tesla Powerwalls, SOK batteries, SolArk inverters, Canadian solar panels available locally (Plaza Extra East). |
| Propane Heaters | Requires propane supply, not a renewable energy source. | Commonly used by residents for water heating. |
| Diesel Generators | High fuel costs, pollution, maintenance needs. | Kohler 30kW diesel generators, integrated with solar systems. |
| Battery Backups | High upfront cost, limited storage capacity. | Tesla Powerwalls, SOK batteries commonly used by residents. |
| ICF (Insulated Concrete Form) | Not widely used, higher upfront cost for construction. | Recommended for new builds but not yet prevalent in the area. |
Source: Reddit Post: “Solar Panels / Wind Turbines / Heat Pumps / Battery Backups USVI”