U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm will visit the territory for the first time on Tuesday to address issues surrounding the escalating energy crisis and frequent power outages. Amid a declared energy state of emergency, Granholm will meet with V.I. Water and Power Authority officials, tour the Harley Power Plant and engage with community stakeholders to discuss solutions and federal support.
The U.S. Virgin Islands has been under an energy state of emergency since April 20 that is now in its third extension. In a pre-visit briefing with reporters Monday afternoon – just hours after the visit was announced – senior U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE) officials highlighted grid resilience initiatives and tribal formula grants from the department’s grid deployment office as a means of support. These grants secured $2.1 million for the territory in the 2022-2023 fiscal year, with an additional $980,000 available for FY 2024, officials said.
“The DOE is closely monitoring the challenges facing the island’s electrical grid and is committed to utilizing available funding and resources to support the USVI in building a resilient power system,” officials stated. Granholm’s visit is seen as a critical step in reinforcing this commitment and building on the foundation laid since 2018 by the department’s energy coordination team, which offers technical assistance to V.I. public and private entities in investments aimed at recovering and strengthening the power system.
The implementation team has outlined key goals, including developing institutional capacity for technical analysis to support the integration of distributed energy resources, system planning and analysis and advising on the development of requests for proposals to enhance power system resilience.
Granholm’s itinerary also includes a significant visit to Puerto Rico, where the energy crisis mirrors that of the USVI. Despite the privatization of Puerto Rico’s power company to LUMA Energy, the island continues to suffer from severe outages, particularly noted in June. The privatization, intended to improve service and infrastructure, has faced criticism for ongoing reliability issues and high costs. Puerto Rico has not declared a state of emergency, limiting the USDOE’s ability to take decisive action, officials said during Monday’s call. However, Granholm’s visit will focus on advancing energy resilience programs and new generation opportunities, including the rollout of over 3,000 solar installations by the end of the year, they added.
USDOE officials emphasized the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to delivering clean and reliable energy and how this week’s visits will highlight historic investments aimed at securing clean energy access, ensuring solar and battery storage and upgrading the electric grid to support vulnerable communities.
Granholm will be joined by U.S. Representative Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-7) and officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for announcements on rural energy investments. She will be hosted on St. Thomas by Delegate Stacey Plaskett. Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. is currently out of the territory.
