The U. S. Department of Energy (USDOE) has selected the Virgin Islands Public Services Commission (PSC) as a host institution for the 2023 Clean Energy Innovator Fellowship program.
Solange Camacho was selected from a pool of applicants as the 2023 Innovator Fellow. Camacho, who is working at the Public Services Commission’s St. Croix office, is a recent graduate from Georgetown University, McDonough School of Business with a Master of Science in Environment and Sustainability Management. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Marymount Manhattan College in Fine Arts with a minor in Business Management. Camacho is a native New Yorker with roots in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico and currently resides in Washington, D.C.
Camacho’s project scope is to “Analyze and Address Existing Advanced Metering Infrastructure Interoperability.” The project will support research on the decline of the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority’s (WAPA) Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) interoperability on the grid and help implement new strategies for management response systems that support resilience.
She will also collaborate with the utility to gather data on the existing AMI architecture pertaining to its operations center, collecting systems and end meters. This project will contribute to best management practices for the territory’s grid and outline solutions that integrate hardware, software, monitoring and control technologies.
“I think my project is essential to stabilizing the grid in the territory. The research is going to contribute to major improvements for WAPA to modernize the infrastructure,” said Camacho.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Clean Energy Innovator Fellowship program funds recent graduates and energy professionals to support critical energy organizations to advance clean energy solutions that will help decarbonize the power system, electrify transportation and industry, and make the U.S. power system more resilient, equitable and inclusive.
The program aims to increase access to clean energy career opportunities across the country and accelerate the national transition to resilient and affordable clean energy. The U.S. Virgin Islands PSC is one of 23 institutions participating in the program.
The Virgin Islands Public Services Commission balances the needs of consumers and utilities, ensures safe and reliable utility service at reasonable rates, and protects the consumers’ rights and public interest.
For recent news releases, more information about the Public Services Commission and easy access to information on utility issues, visit the website at www.psc.vi.gov and “Like” PSC on Facebook at www.facebook.com/VIPSC1965
