WAPA CEO Andrew Smith. By. THE VIRGIN ISLANDS WATER AND POWER AUTHORITY.
The V.I. Water and Power Authority's newest CEO, Andrew Smith, will face questions on Monday, August 1 from V.I. Consortium's Ernice Gilbert, as Mr. Smith seeks to introduce himself to the USVI community and relay information on efforts at the authority to provide quality service to Virgin Islanders.
The interview will take place at 7:30 p.m. on the Consortium's Facebook platform and will also be shared on the VIC website.
Mr. Gilbert, founder and publisher of the V.I. Consortium, said he's especially interested in performing the interview as WAPA is one of the most important government arms affecting everyday life in the territory.
"Let's be honest, WAPA for decades has eaten a larger-than-acceptable pie of Virgin Islanders' finances, and the real question is when is it going to stop, you know? We're paying the highest kilowatt per hour rate in all of America. When will Virgin Islanders truly see some relief? That's what we really need to know," he said.
Mr. Gilbert said he will seek responses on progress being made in a number of areas along with timetables.
Mr. Smith, the WAPA CEO, was announced by the authority on January 10 and brings almost 30 years of experience to the electric utility, power generation, and energy industry to WAPA, according to the WAPA board.
Most recently, prior to joining VIWAPA, Mr. Smith served as a consultant to the utility industry focusing on financial best practices, an area of expertise that will prove invaluable as VIWAPA strives to regain financial stability. He has balanced his financial acumen with in-depth operational engagement that enables him to diligently understand the trade-offs between investment and reliability, the WAPA board said.
