The V.I. Water and Power Authority is finalizing a contract with an off-island power company to help energize St. Croix after Hurricane Lenny, but it isn’t Southern Energy.
WAPA Spokeswoman Patricia Blake Simmonds said Friday that the utility’s executive director, Raymond George, was on St. Thomas negotiating terms of assistance with the Puerto Rico Electrical Power Authority. George has said PREPA could be on St. Croix by Monday or Tuesday of next week to assist in restoring power to the island.
More than a week after Hurricane Lenny hit the territory, particularly St. Croix, WAPA crews were still trying to restore power to many customers. Simmonds said full service is expected sometime between Dec. 6 and 11, "but that’s no guarantee," she said.
"At this stage of the game, we’ve restored 85 percent of our normal electrical load," Simmonds said.
Although the restoration schedule is ahead a week in some areas of the island, Simmonds said crews are behind in others. That delay has caused WAPA to be criticized for not having outside help ready to assist in restoring power immediately after the storm.
For the last three years, WAPA has hired Southern Energy to be in the territory for three months during the height of the hurricane season. This year’s $1.6 million contract ended on Nov. 15, just two days before Lenny struck.
While Southern Energy had already shipped its equipment back to the mainland, company officials said they did offer WAPA manpower and resources that could be in the territory 24 hours after the storm. Although WAPA is now seeking outside assistance from PREPA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency will cover most of the cost. That’s because President Clinton declared the territory a federal disaster area earlier this week.
The declaration, however, took a week, which was one of the reasons why outside help wasn’t brought in sooner, George said. Because the V.I. government owes WAPA some $30 million in utility bills, George said WAPA couldn’t afford to hire additional assistance outright.
"We really couldn’t find funding to bring anyone in," George said.
He said that what the restoration effort needs most is equipment. Because of PREPA’s proximity to St. Croix, it is best suited to assist.
"We have been dealing with them because they can bring equipment over here quicker than anyone else," he said.
Speculation from some quarters of the community had it that George didn’t recall Southern Energy because of the proposed sale of WAPA to the company. While Southern Energy has said it will not lay off unionized employees, it hasn’t guaranteed positions for WAPA management.
But George insisted WAPA’s financial situation was the reason the company’s assets weren’t called back in.
"I can’t sign a contract unless I have funds to support that contract," said George. "It’s as simple as that."
