Dear Source:
Suggestion: Work with Hovensa to establish a liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving station, and let a private power company (FPL?) construct a large enough natural gas-burning generation station to export electricity to St. Thomas, St. John and Puerto Rico, as well as other nearby islands.
If Hovensa is not willing or able to do the LNG facility, put it at the deep-water port at Renaissance Park.
I read an article about a year ago that FPL was considering laying a cable from Florida to Puerto Rico; it would be much less expensive to lay one from St. Croix to Puerto Rico, and the taxes for FPL (or another private power company) would be much less in St. Croix than on the mainland if they qualified as an EDC company.
Winner — Hovensa: Hovensa no longer has to supply discounted fuel to WAPA.
Winner — Environment natural gas is much cleaner burning than oil power generation.
Winner — Consumer: Natural gas becomes more readily available for everybody on island.
Winner — Consumer: Electricity is cheaper; residents and businesses save money that can be invested elsewhere in the local economy.
Winner — Economy: Large regional power-generation facility provides high-paying jobs with good benefits that would generate taxes for island improvements and provide a trade for the youth to learn.
Winner — Consumer: Get WAPA out of the power-generation business and let them focus on upgrading and maintaining distribution systems for better reliability.
Winner — Redevelopment: Renaissance Park gets a substantial development to anchor redevelopment of the deep-water port resource.
Winner — Consumer: Ratepayers do not have to pay for new power-generation facilities, as they would be funded by the private investment from FPL or a similar company.
Winner — Entire Region: Regional electrical problems are solved.
Seems like a winning situation that needs somebody with ambition to spearhead it.
Barry Jones
Gainesville, Florida
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