28 January 2016 - Business View Caribbean
USVI Water & Power Authority
Providing water and power to the citizens of the territory
The Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority (WAPA)
was created by the Virgin Islands Legislature in 1964.
Its purpose was to produce and distribute electricity for
homes, businesses, and all institutions of government
across the territory, including: St. Thomas, St. Croix, St.
John, Water Island, and Hassel Island. In 1987, the re-
sponsibility of producing and distributing potable wa-
ter was added to WAPA’s portfolio. Finally, in 2001, the
agency was further charged with the task of installing
and maintaining street lighting in the territory’s urban
and rural residential sections. As a semi-autonomous
government agency, WAPA is considered a not-for prof-
it public corporation that contributes directly to the Vir-
gin Islands Government’s budget through an annual
payment in lieu of taxes to the Virgin Islands Treasury.
Today, WAPA provides electricity to approximately
55,000 customers territory-wide. The utility operates
seven generating units on St. Thomas and six generat-
ing units on St. Croix. Customers on St. John are pro-
vided power from St. Thomas through underwater ca-
bles with back-up power available from an emergency
generator. Electric rates are set by the Public Service
Commission of the Virgin Islands.
WAPA also provides potable water to around 13,000
customers in the major commercial and residential
centers of Charlotte Amalie (St. Thomas); Christianst-
ed and Frederiksted (St. Croix); and Cruz Bay (St. John);
as well as certain subdivisions. (Only about 25 percent
of the Islands’ citizens get their water through the util-
