Dear Source:
There is a crisis of energy which has hit our islands and has hit us hard. On Friday, the 30th of May, WAPA informed us that they are seeking a 40% increase in the cost of electrical energy, with increases for water consumption as well. This huge increase, with its' serious repercussions, is making life for our communities a hardship with no alternative solutions in sight. We must do better or we may see many families leaving and a loss of our economy from becoming too expensive to live or vacation here.
I wish to urge Governor deJongh to consider establishing an Energy Task Force with Cabinet level influence to evaluate how we may look to the future. If we do nothing, the WAPA increases will only continue to grow uncontrollably. With an Energy Task Force, we can search for solutions which do not come out of our regulatory Public Service Commission and WAPA. WAPA isn't looking forward, it is simply clutching to survive. With an Energy Task Force our islanders may feel that something is being done to protect their homeland.
What can an Energy Task Force do? Here are just a few suggestions:
1. Recognize and evaluate the crisis at hand.
2. Meet immediately with HOVENSA and renegoitiate a better bulk fuel price for WAPA. HOVENSA must realize that they are part of our islands and must do more to help our community. The demise of our communities by the burden of fuel costs is not beneficial to anyone, including HOVENSA.
3. Explore renewable sources of energy now, not later, and urge such development to begin immediately. We need to establish wind and solar projects on each island to feed our lines.
4. Establish a local and Federal fund to help individuals and businesses afford to develop solar and wind power at their homes and businesses. One plan would be to establish a "mortgage equity fund' to help individuals and businesses to convert their power needs towards being more self sufficient.
5. Establish energy classes and technical training in renewable energy so that new business enterprises may be created which will install and service our homes and businesses with a new energy.
6. Demand that the Port Authority and the local hospitals install solar and wind generators on their huge roof tops and sites, servicing their buildings and selling the excess back to WAPA. Such authorities, like the Port Authority, should be encouraged to set goals of expanding their renewable energy resources by 20% per year.
7. Establish pilot projects on each island to explore and develop renewable energy, for instance, in some of our communities establish substations to have the area get off the WAPA grid and actually sell power back to WAPA.
8. Have the task force establish strict guidelines for our government agencies to pay off their debt to WAPA.
9. Have the task force solicit bids to sell WAPA to a larger power entity with a plan that would include lowering our consumption of fossil fuels.
Or, we could do nothing, and ignore forming an Energy Task Force, with the end result being that energy costs will increase; fuel prices will escalate; food prices will go through the roof; tourist services, such as taxis, hotels and restaurants will become too pricey for our competitive tourist economy so that people will lose their jobs and our residents will be forced to leave the territory in order to survive.
Governor deJongh, please consider establishing an Energy Task Force. Your Cabinet has so many important departments and commissions, surely such an important reality as the cost of energy and it's affect on our communities deserves to sit at the table.
Steve Black
St. John
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