Jan. 15, 2008 — On Thursday morning, Jan. 24, the Public Services Commission will meet Hugo Hodge Jr., WAPA's new executive director as of Jan. 1, in the Port Authority Conference Room upstairs at Henry E. Rohlsen Airport on St. Croix.
(See "WAPA Appoints New Director.")
Alberto Bruno-Vega, the previous full-time executive director, left last fall.
They will hear a report from Hodge on matters at the public power-and-water-supply utility. The agenda includes discussion of the status of power generation at WAPA; fuel costs and the fuel surcharge on customer's bills; the levelized energy-adjustment clause (LEAC), or customer fuel surcharge; the status of WAPA's recent request for proposal for alternative-energy suppliers (see "WAPA Looking for Alternative-Energy Providers to Supplement Power Production"), and the status of construction of an energy-saving waste heat-recovery boiler on St. Croix.
Slated for completion this September, the waste heat-recovery boiler should save a substantial amount of expensive oil used to generate electricity, possibly helping to lower the LEAC over time. (See "WAPA Breaks Ground for Second Waste Heat-Recovery Boiler.")
The PSC also plans to look into the status of Centennial Wireless's application for certification as a telecommunications carrier eligible to receive federal funds for infrastructure improvements in the territory. New rules cutting the amount of money the federal government doles out under this program took effect Jan. 1, so Centennial was hurrying to get all its PSC, legislative and federal ducks in a row before then to be eligible to receive the funds. (See "PSC Takes on Telecom and Ferry Issues.")
In closed session at the beginning of the meeting, the PSC will meet with legal counsel and the attorney general's office to discuss pending litigation.
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