Updated | 8:15 p.m.
With generation capacity still limited at the Randolph Harley Power Plant, crews continue working to restore additional units. As a result, WAPA’s rotational outage schedule will remain in effect this evening. Feeder 9C is scheduled to go offline from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., followed by Feeder 6A from 9:30 to 11:30 p.m., or until peak demand decreases, according to the latest update.
Updated | 3:30 p.m.
As of 3:30 p.m., the following feeders have been restored: 8B, Portion of 7C (Up to Cassi Hill), 7A, 6A, 6B, 7E, 5A, 9E, and 9C.
WAPA Plant Personnel are working to restore service to the remaining customers still affected, according to a recent news release. Customers may still experience brief interruptions work at the Harley Power Plant continues.
Original Story | 2:30 p.m.
As of 2:30 p.m. Thursday, officials at the V.I. Water and Power Authority say there is still no clear timeline for full power restoration on St. Thomas, St. John and Water Island, which have been without electricity since 9:45 a.m.
According to WAPA Communications Director Shanell Petersen, the outage was triggered by a safety trip at the propane terminal, which provides liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to the generating units. Petersen said a sudden loss of communication from the terminal activated a built-in safety mechanism, shutting the system down.
Since then, WAPA and its operations and maintenance contractor have been working to determine the root cause of the communication failure while restoring critical systems.
So far, Petersen said WAPA has successfully brought the propane terminal back online, along with one of its Wartsila generators. Crews are also working to bring the remaining available Wartsila units back into service, along with Unit 15, which uses diesel.
“The focus right now is stabilizing generation,” Petersen said. “Only after that happens can we begin to see feeders come back online.”
Because the outage resulted in a full blackout, the restoration process is more complex and will take longer than usual, Petersen added. Meanwhile, WAPA is using radio and other alert systems to keep the public informed and said more updates will be provided as restoration efforts continue.
