Collaboration Public-Private

 

Objective

To supply clean renewable energy to the U.S. Virgin Islands long-term at competitive rates

 

Act No. 7075

2009 - Bill No. 28-0009

Twenty-Eighth Legislature of the Virgin Islands

 

§1151. General goals of the program

 

(a) In order to achieve the purposes of this chapter, the Director shall conduct programs for energy research, development, demonstration and commercial application with the general goals of-

(b) In carrying out this chapter, the Director shall implement programs and publish reports that provide for:

(c) In the preparation of the reports identified in subsection the Director shall solicit input from industry, institutions of higher education, and other public sources.

 

The act is an energy policy that focuses on reducing fuel imports, expanding fuel diversity, and increasing energy self-sufficiency.

 

60% By 2025 Energy Goal (30% Renewable Energy + 30% Energy Efficiency)

The US Virgin Islands government working with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (a government-owned contractor operated facility) funded by the United States Department of Energy, the Virgin Islands Energy office, the local power authority along with different public and private groups set a goal to achieve the territory’s renewable energy potential that would support reaching the renewable energy & energy efficiency goal of 60% by 2025.

 

"The high cost of energy is a major concern for the individual ratepayer, and a key issue in our economic development. As a territory, we are implementing our plan to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels by 60% over the next 15 years.” —Gov. John P. de Jongh Jr. State of the Territory Address, January 24, 2011

 

Wind Power's Role in Helping Achieve the 60% By 2025 Energy Goal

Due of the long-term uncertainty and historical volatility of fossil prices resulting in crippling prices of energy in the US Virgin Islands, and with the US Virgin Islands government's adoption of a long-term energy strategy to transition to a cleaner and more efficient energy future it desirable to to reduce the territory's reliance on imported fossil fuels. Specifically an increasing important step is to make clean, renewable energy a focus of the US Virgin Islands power generation mix. While a single wind project cannot solve all of the future energy challenges facing the territory, it does represent an important step on the path to the adaption of more reliance on renewable energy and reducing dependency on fossil fuels.

 

To put the Bovoni wind project into perspective compared to the overall Virgin Island annual power consumption, the total amount of wind power generated at Bovoni point in a given year would only represent approximately 5% to 7% of the total energy usage being consumed in the entire US Virgin Island's power grid prior to the hurricanes in 2017. As to achieving the "30% Renewable Energy Goal by 2025", the Bovoni wind project would contribute or help the USVI meet approximately 25% of that renewable energy goal just at Bovoni Point.

 

And in the immediate aftermath of the 2017 hurricanes with overall power consumption down, the wind power generated at Bovoni point would be an even higher percentage of the total territory's electrical power consumption. While the "60% By 2025" energy goal is good public policy, the reality is that it is only valuable if that policy is put into "practice", the Bovoni wind project does exactly that and is good for the community but much more remains to be accomplished.

 

Putting into practice the "60% By 2025" energy policy embraced by the US Virgin Islands government will take a dedicated and concerted effort, and will require building strong working relationships between the Public and Private sectors. Advance Power is one of one of these private sector renewable energy companies that have been activity engaged and dedicated to bringing a renewable energy component to the US Virgin Islands since 2011. Advance Power has worked with many individuals, US Virgin Island government agencies and others specifically including bringing wind power to Bovoni point on St. Thomas.

 

For more detail regarding Advance Power's story of commitment and engagement regarding the Bovoni wind project please see the chronological history of the numerous pre-construction steps that have been undertaken in an effort to make a commercial scale wind power generation facility in the US Virgin Islands a reality.

 

Public Sector: U.S. Virgin Islands Government Agencies

(1) Water and Power Authority (WAPA)

(2) Virgin Islands Public Service Commission (PSC)

(3) Virgin Islands Energy Office

(4) Virgin Islands Department of Property and Procurement

(5) Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR)

(6) Virgin Islands Port Authority

(7) Government House - US Virgin Islands

 

Private Sector: Project Development Team

(1) Advance Power LLC

(2) LEITWIND/LEITNER AG/SPA

(3) Financial Underwriters

(4) Electrical/Mechanical/Civil Engineers

(5) Logistics/Transportation

(6) Construction/Erection

(7) Legal/Tax Advisory

(8) Other Related Suppliers & Service Providers

 

Public & Private Sectors - Collaborating

Equals Successful Long-Term Energy Solutions For The USVI

Advance Power's team did not arrive in the U.S. Virgin Islands by accident. In fact, just the opposite, our team sought out exactly the energy challenges and circumstances that the U.S. Virgin Islands have been facing. Moreover, Advance Power has had various representatives, engineers, technicians and other personnel who have been quietly working in the U.S. Virgin Islands since 2011 in preparation of developing the wind power potential.

Advance Power has placed other significant resources in the U.S. Virgin Islands, including the first commercial deployment ofSOundDetectionAndRanging (SODAR) units (very sophisticated wind measurement technology) by any private sector group. Inconjuction with the Virgin Island's Energy Office and the Water and Power Authority's (WAPA) initative to conduct a utility scale wind study to evaluate the wind power potential in the USVI using both SODAR and meteorological towers.

 

And equally important, if not more so, our team has and continues to reach out to numerous U.S. Virgin Islands businesses, individuals and leaders to build working relationships to better understand what role our team can play in providing a part of the energy solution for the U.S. Virgin Islands community’s future power needs.All of these efforts have been made with the realistic goal of providing a viable role for wind to play in meeting the power needs of the territory and its economy.

The wind project Advance Power's experienced team has designed, will construct and operate on Bovoni Point is fundamentally sound, in numerous ways, including but not limited to the private capital funding structure our group provides to build the wind turbine facility, to the advanced wind technology itself, the timeliness of the need for energy and the ability to provide clean renewable competitive costing energy to the US Virgin Islands community in an environmentally responsible manner.