US Virgin Islands executes contract to replace power generation on St. Croix and St. Thomas

The United States Virgin Islands Office of Disaster Recovery, on behalf of the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority, has executed a contract to replace power generation infrastructure in both the St. Croix and St. Thomas/St. John districts, marking a significant step toward modernizing the territory’s electrical grid.

Contractor R-G Engineering/Javelin Gramercy Ventures Joint Venture will replace existing power generation infrastructure at the Richmond Power Plant in St. Croix and portions of the Randolph Harley Power Plant in St. Thomas under a progressive design-build contract.

In addition to replacing thermal generation at both plants, the Office of Disaster Recovery and the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority have secured emergency power generation to address service interruptions affecting St. Thomas and St. John residents due to frequent generation shortfalls. Four new standby units, with a total capacity of 10 megawatts, have been purchased and will be shipped to the territory and installed in 2026 once tested and packaged.

The project will be carried out in two phases. The first, preconstruction, will assess existing facilities and define the scope of work. It will overlap with the construction phase, which includes the installation of temporary power, Battery Energy Storage Systems, and the procurement and installation of permanent power solutions for both districts. The construction phase is expected to last approximately 48 months, with substantial completion anticipated in 2030.

“This project directly addresses longstanding generation challenges across the territory, including aging infrastructure, capacity shortfalls, and service vulnerabilities that have impacted our customers,” said Karl Knight, CEO and executive director of the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority. “WAPA is not connected to a national grid, and having sufficient generation capacity in our power plants is essential to providing reliable service to our customers. By replacing Units 14 and 15 at Harley, fully modernizing Richmond from the ground up, and strengthening St. John’s emergency capacity, this investment represents a transformational step for all Virgin Islanders.”

Under the contract, the joint venture firm is responsible for all phases of the project, including design, engineering, procurement, construction, testing, operator training, and ongoing support.

“This contract marks a significant step towards utilizing federal disaster recovery funding to provide reliable power to the people of the Virgin Islands,” said Adrienne L. Williams-Octalien, director of the Office of Disaster Recovery. “Thank you to FEMA for authorizing the prudent replacement of these facilities and for its continued support to execute this critical project.”