Karl Knight has been named the new director of the V.I. Energy Office. Knight, a St. Croix native is expected to carry out Gov. John deJongh Jr.’s goal of reducing the territory’s fossil fuel use by 60 percent over the next 15 years.
“Karl Knight’s experience in both engineering and policy matters makes him an ideal candidate to take the helm of the V.I. Energy Office at a time when we are doing remarkable things in the territory to lessen our dependence on fossil fuels and develop sustainable energy sources that help preserve our treasured natural environment,” deJongh said in a statement Monday from Government House.
Replacing Bevan Smith at the helm of the Energy Office, Knight, will oversee implementation of the Office’s long term strategy to: reduce energy costs in the territory, increase efficiency of energy use and production, increase fuel diversity and reliability, and promote clean energy.
Knight is a graduate of Central High School with a Bachelor’s of Science in Civil Engineering from Morgan State University, where he graduated magna cum laude. He worked as a Civil Engineer for the V.I. Water and Power Authority, providing project management and design services, before being promoted to a managerial position with responsibility for strategic planning. Knight was chief researcher and advisor for Sen. Terrence Nelson during the 26th Legislature.
In 2007, Knight left the Legislature to serve as a public policy advisor to deJongh, where he acted as a Government House liaison to several executive branch departments and had active oversight of the Energy Office’s policies and initiatives.
Knight is as a member of the leadership team that spearheaded project development for the Energy Development in Islands Nations (EDIN) partnership between the U.S. Virgin Islands, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the U.S. Department of the Interior—a project with the goal of reducing fossil fuel consumption in the Virgin Islands 60 percent by 2025.
Smith, who has been with Energy for 30 years and at the helm for more than five, will take over as unit chief at the Department of Planning and Natural Resources Division of Building Permits.
