Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. announced Monday that rotational power outages have ended on St. Thomas and St. John following repairs to the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority’s Unit 27, while also highlighting the submission of a revised horse racing agreement to the Legislature and the completion of the government’s Fiscal Year 2024 Single Audit during his weekly Government House press briefing.
The governor opened the briefing by recognizing the success of Independence Day weekend celebrations, including the St. John fireworks display and horse racing events held Saturday on St. Thomas.
WAPA Director of Communications Shanell Spencer said rotational outages ended Friday after crews completed repairs to Unit 27, restoring approximately 18 megawatts of generating capacity to the system.
She said customers on several feeders should expect planned overnight outages from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. July 13 and 14 as WAPA completes the Feeder 13 bypass and Feeder 7E projects. Spencer also announced that standby generation units are expected to arrive later this month and will provide backup generation for St. John. She added that the Fortuna Solar Farm remains on schedule to become operational by the end of the year.
Bryan also announced that he has submitted a revised horse racing agreement to the 36th Legislature, saying the proposal incorporates feedback from lawmakers, horsemen and Southland Gaming while supporting the reopening of horse racing facilities in both districts.
The revised proposal would require Southland Gaming to remain the promoter of horse racing for at least five years, remove a previously proposed exemption from gross receipts taxes for racetrack entertainment activities, and increase the share of racino revenue dedicated to the St. Thomas-St. John Horsemen Association from 3% to 6%.
Speaking during the briefing, Bryan emphasized that restoring horse racing is about more than reopening racetracks.
“It creates positive opportunities for our young people,” the governor said, noting that participation in the sport helps teach discipline, responsibility and hard work while providing constructive activities for youth.
Turning to the government’s finances, Bryan announced that the Fiscal Year 2024 Single Audit has been completed and urged the territory’s semi-autonomous agencies to bring their audits current. He also highlighted the creation of a Financial Solutions Task Force to address long-term fiscal management.
The governor concluded by providing updates on several capital projects across the territory, including the reconstruction of the Grove Place Fire Station on St. Croix, continued repairs at Bertha C. Boschulte Middle School on St. Thomas, and infrastructure improvements on St. John.
As he closed the briefing, Bryan thanked residents for their patience and asked the community to continue placing its trust in his administration during the final months of his term.
