Officials at the Water and Power Authority are taking a long look at ways to reduce electrical service disruptions during power outages. One executive working on sustainability initiatives said that, in an upcoming program, the utility will seek customers with monthly power bills of $500 or less.
A preliminary concept for the program would require eligible customers to sign up for financial assistance to purchase home-based battery backup systems. Battery backups store electricity from the utility or from alternative energy sources such as solar panels.
Systems combining solar and battery storage gained popularity in the Virgin Islands after hurricanes Irma and Maria caused widespread power outages that lasted for weeks, said VIEnergize Director Brian Walden. Under the new program, WAPA customers will be able to install battery backups without solar components.
“This is very specific,” Walden said. The battery systems would be designed to deliver two-to-eight hours of stored power to the customer once an outage occurs. “There would be eligibility requirements; we hope to have a roll out by April.”
As of January 2025, an estimated 2,928 distributed energy resource systems were in operation across the territory. Talks about the upcoming program took place during the WAPA governing board’s January meeting. Executive Director Karl Knight called it a virtual power plant and expressed optimism that such a system could boost the utility’s resilience.
Through the VIEnergize Program, WAPA invites residents and businesses to learn more about renewable energy systems. The program first appeared in 2013 but reemerged in 2025.
The director expressed hope that community outreach efforts can attract applicants for the Virtual Power Plant Program. If successful, he said, WAPA could make home-based backups a permanent part of the utility’s infrastructure.
