St. John Power Redundancy Improves as Cabrita Point Circuit Repairs Finish, Great Bay Work Advances

ST. JOHN — A critical backup component of St. John’s electrical system has been repaired and was being energized Thursday, marking another step in WAPA’s effort to restore redundancy to an island that endured several prolonged power disruptions earlier this year. During the V.I. Water and Power Authority’s Governing Board meeting on September 24, WAPA CEO and Executive Director Karl Knight said work on the Cabrita Point Distribution Circuit had been completed. “The repair work is done,” he announced, expressing hope that the circuit, which provides a backup to Feeder 7E, would be fully energized by Thursday night. The Cabrita Point project is particularly important because it gives WAPA another pathway for supplying St. John when other parts of the transmission and distribution system fail or must be taken offline. WAPA previously said the redundant connection was lost following Hurricanes Irma and Maria and that restoring it would allow the utility to reroute power during maintenanc...