WAPA Woes

You'll pay and like it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :X

Signed; WAPA

I also heard that included in the special session was a motion to allow WAPA to have approximately 65% of all individuals net earnings withheld automatically as part of the new "bend them over, what are they gonna do about it" program. 😀

lol................Jay sounds like the WAPA nazi
IM.....do we even get kissed on this new bend em deal 😮

Not to be an advocate of civil disobedience, but I've often wondered what would happen if EVERYONE just stopped paying anything to WAPA. Recently, i've begun voicing that thought. They wouldn't last 90 days...

seeing how bad of shape they are in already, they would go bankrupt immediately; then how do our lights get turned on?. not so good for everyone that likes to have power. Unfortunately the "bend 'em over" theory is true when it comes to the power company. if the govt. isn't strictly regulating them, and they are the only option for supplying power, we are at their mercy.

:X

Hovensa wants to take over for WAPA, the sooner they go under the better in my opinion. I'd much rather have them running the show.

You and me both Betty.....anybody would be better. The Three Stooges, Tom and Jerry or even Homer Simpson. Doesn't he work for a Nuclear Power Plant? At least he might get us up to speed.

Then its final...............we all refuse to pay & go to the dark side. And then our knights in oil coated armor at Hovensa will save us!
That is unless the feds decide to bail WAPA out too...........:-X

At least it might force their hand and affect change in fiscal policy or management/oversight ( read pillage, plunder and waste)

I came home from work (crappy day at that) yesterday and was stupid enough to open my WAPA bill. I cried. I don't need the hassle of having to spend next Monday...my first day of 'vacation' (our rest. closes for 3wks.) trying not to get arrested by telling these idiots that my bill is absolutely WRONG! THEY DOUBLED EVERYTHING TO THE POINT THAT IT'S MORE THAN MY MORTGAGE! AND I'M SORRY...THERE'S NO WAY IN HELL WE'VE ALL OF A SUDDEN USED 1400kw!!!
Okay...sorry for yelling.:-X

There is a demonstartion outside Government House on STX on Friday from 12-5. Small business has been encouraged to show up. We cannot live this way!! We need to give a message to the government to get some help from the FEDS! Our business' are dying on the vine!

Yeah thats the ticket have the feds bail us out.............*-)
The VI gets more money from fed than any state in the mainland & you want them to bail us out.........................
I agree we're being took here, but a federal bail out.....................come on

Don't know anything about federal money workings and the definite waste of it by the V.I. government , but if Dr.D feels like I do, I'd like to see a Federal take-over as opposed to a 'bail-out'. Again, I don't know the particulars, but didn't the federal government wind up having to step in a few years back concerning H.U.D.?

It's not unheard of for the feds to take over a housing program. I've read about it a few times in the states. But it would be extremely un popular, both here and on the mainland for the federal government to "take over" a territory. I can't see that ever happening. In the VI it would be seen as a take over and on the mainland it would be a bail-out and everyone would be unhappy.

No bail out, but if the Feds want to come on down .....chewing bubble gum & kicking sum azz, then bring it on!!!!
I wouldn't want a take over, just indictments, arrests & lower bills!!!! Use the money from the Sentors last pay increase they passed to improve & repair WAPA. They haven't done anything beside talk since Edison invented the light bulb.

Part of the problem stems from WAPA operating "outside" of the VI gov't. Right now WAPA has no money to invest in new plants / upgrades, etc. So what do they do. They send out an RFP for developers to come in (on their own dime) to build alternate fuel plants that then sell the electric back to WAPA. The going rate that WAPA wants to pay them is about 16 cents per kWh. Compare that to your 51.4 cents per kWh bill? Also, the PPA (Purchase Power Agreement) has severe LDs (liquidated damages) if the plant can not produce - just after a hurricane - even if the infrastructure can not support it (ie., lines are down every where). What developer of a small plant would sign up for this, plus the very low price for power and all the hassles of working in the islands?

The easiest thing for WAPA is to continue right like they have been. The RFP process was forced on them. They make it difficult and it fails - they go right on like before / now. Pass the cost of fuel right on the customers. On STT the only fuel they use is oil in all their units.

The gov't (VI or Fed) needs to absorb WAPA and take some equity / risk in and partner with developers on new power projects that use alternate fuels or renewables.

As an example. Each day on STT, about 500,000 pounds of solid waste (MSW) is generated that goes (or should go) to the landfill. About 10 pounds per full time resident. This amount is much greater than in the states (USA avg. is about 5 pounds per person) for 2 reasons. One due to the tourists. The other is the large amount of cardboard and pallets used in shipping everything in and amounts to about 20%. This 50 tons could be used in a biomass system ( www.adoratec.com ) to make 1MW. This system could also take in dried sewage sludge to blend with the other biomass to increase the MW output. However MSW and sewage on STT are controlled outside of the VI Gov't. See ( http://www.viwma.org/meetWMA.aspx ). Dealings with WMA are another hassle and to coordinate things should be back under the gov't.

If the people want change, then they need to DEMAND direct government involvement - not just their prodding of WAPA.