Karl Knight To Begin As WAPA CEO On July 29

In a board meeting on Thursday, the Water and Power Authority confirmed what had been reported last month by Consortium journalists: that Karl Knight, formerly chief of staff to Governor Albert Bryan Jr., had been appointed executive director to the V.I. Water and Power Authority. Mr. Knight takes over from former CEO and Executive Director Andrew Smith at a time where WAPA is fighting to maintain its ability to keep the lights on across the territory, with critically low levels of operational funds hindering the timely purchase of fuel and the performance of critical maintenance tasks. As a result, residents have been grappling with unplanned outages and rolling blackouts for months. A state of energy emergency declared by Governor Bryan has given WAPA some breathing room, channeling funds long-owed to the utility by similarly struggling government-supported entities into WAPA’s coffers. Federal grant funds recently transferred to settle the outstanding deal with Vitol also signal a...