Julius Aubain

The Board received an update on efforts to stabilize power generation in the St. Thomas-St. John district. Key topics included the advancement of plans for permanent and emergency generation to address peak demand and system reliability, with a deadline set for a comprehensive action plan. Updates were provided on diagnostics for Unit 15 and repair efforts for Unit 27, along with information regarding the continued use of rotational outage schedules until generation capacity is restored. Progress on local generation and resilience improvements on the island of St. John was also discussed.

The meeting is convened to conduct an executive session focused on the discussion of legal matters.

The board meeting agenda includes action items from the Planning and Economic Development Committee regarding cost and time for the West Peak Project Management Support. The Finance and Audit Committee will review cost and time extensions for the Hannah's Rest Phase I project and a contract amendment for the Queen Mary Highway. The meeting will also include an Executive Director's report and an executive session to address personnel and legal matters.

The Governing Board approved several actions intended to provide customer relief and improve system reliability. Key decisions included accelerating the electric meter replacement project deployment across St. Thomas and St. Croix concurrently, aiming to reduce the overall timeline by six months. The Board also unanimously approved a cost increase for the Feeder 5A underground electrical project to continue grid hardening efforts. Furthermore, a 10-year lease agreement was approved for a centralized customer-facing operations location at Four Winds Plaza, which is projected to yield significant cost savings over the term and improve workflow. Operational updates noted the deployment of in-house vegetation management crews and corrective measures being implemented following a recent outage on St. John related to automation systems. WAPA also secured contracts for traveling screens to mitigate sargassum impact on generation facilities.

The Governing Board approved several actions to advance infrastructure projects and enhance operational stability. Key approvals included authorizing amendments to ensure uninterrupted material access for hazardous mitigation and composite pole projects, thus protecting progress on grid resilience. Furthermore, adjustments were made to the Queen Mary Highway Phase I Electrical Underground Duct Bank Project on St. Croix to protect mature trees and reduce elevated work. To maintain operational stability, extensions were approved for existing lines of credit with local banking partners to cover day-to-day needs while longer-term financial strategies are reviewed.