Blackouts Plague U.S. Virgin Islands Amid Power Struggles

Early Sunday, St. Thomas and St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands experienced a total blackout, marking the second power failure of the weekend. This occurred as the territory confronts frequent power outages. The Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority attributed the blackouts to a generation loss at a power plant.

The initial blackout struck late Saturday, and although crews managed to restore power overnight, another failure occurred hours later. St. Thomas, the main island, is home to over 42,000 residents, while nearly 4,000 people live on St. John.

Power outages have become a common occurrence in the U.S. territory, spurring frustration among residents who expressed their discontent on social media, urging the government for action. Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. has vowed to address the issue, having invested approximately $100 million in federal funding into the utility over recent years. Nonetheless, the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority continues to struggle with service provision.

In April, officials informed legislators that various factors, including storms, equipment shortages, and weak generation capacity, alongside equipment breakdowns and deferred maintenance, were to blame for the outages. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, over half of the territory’s petroleum-fueled generating units exceed 25 years in age. The devastation from hurricanes Irma and Maria in September 2017 resulted in damage or destruction to as much as 90% of the transmission and distribution infrastructure.

The utility plans to install temporary generation and additional battery energy storage at a main power plant in the coming months to help mitigate outages. Renewable energy sources contribute to only about 3% of the territory’s power capacity. In 2024, the average electricity price was approximately 33 cents per kilowatt hour, nearly double the U.S. average of 16 cents, as noted by the U.S. energy agency.