WAPA seeking other fuel suppliers
Published: January 27, 2012
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ST. THOMAS - A week after HOVENSA announced it would stop supplying the V.I. Water and Power Authority in June, Executive Director Hugo Hodge Jr. said WAPA is compiling a list of alternate fuel suppliers.
Seven vendors have been identified as potentially suitable suppliers, and dozens of companies have expressed interest in selling fuel oil to WAPA, Hodge told the WAPA board at its meeting Thursday.
"There is a lot of interest in this account," Hodge said.
WAPA checks out the companies based on the amount of fuel the company can supply, along with the grade of fuel and fuel storage location, he said.
"We're doing something we haven't done in over 40 years, which is finding a new fuel supplier," Hodge said.
WAPA has until June 30, the date HOVENSA said it would continue to supply fuel to the utility, to find a new supplier.
The WAPA board also took a number of other actions.
Unit 13
The V.I. Water and Power Authority board Thursday extended a $1.1 million contract to repair and reassemble Unit 13, a 38-year-old steam-driven generator, by June 30.
The board approved the emergency extension from the original March 31 deadline authorizing ARM Services to fix the unit. The contract allots $1,121,439 for the repair.
Unit 13 is designed to produce 36 megawatts of electricity. It is the Harley Plant's second most-productive unit.
Rotor problems and condenser failures have caused Unit 13's repeated breakdowns in recent years.
Market Square
The board approved a $239,000 payment to relocate electric lines underground in Market Square and Main Street.
WAPA is buying the materials from Electric Supply of Tampa, Fla.
WAPA anticipates the relocation will make the electric lines less susceptible to problems caused by exposure to rain and bad weather.
Water line upgrade
A change order was approved to extend the deadline to upgrade deteriorating water lines in Anna's Hope.
The Environmental Protection Agency's drinking water capital improvement grant program is funding the new lines.
The deadline for completion was extended to May 4 because of unexpected delays in excavation. Workers encountered more hard rock than expected.
Discarding the trash
The board authorized WAPA Executive Director Hugo Hodge Jr. to dispose of unneeded WAPA property - such as damaged office furniture, old poles, transformers and used computers.
The authority to discard the property had required a committee and the full board's approval.
Solar updates
Hodge discussed ongoing solar request-for-proposal negotiations that were held last week with a short-list of solar providers.
The discussions should conclude by April, Hodge said, and the V.I. Public Services Commission's approval is due in June.
Hodge said the ideal time line would have the first group of solar panels on the WAPA grid by early 2013.
Stack-testing
In other business, the board approved an additional $220,000 for the stack-testing at Estate Richmond. The total funding approved for the project rose to $625,000.
The funding is needed to comply with an EPA order and to meet the V.I. Department of Planning and Natural Resources' permitting requirements.
Board Chairwoman Juanita Young, and board members Gerald Groner, Noel Loftus, Cheryl Boynes-Jackson, Brenda Benjamin, Donald Francois, V.I. Licensing and Consumer Affairs Commissioner Wayne Biggs, DPNR Commissioner Alicia Barnes and V.I. Energy Office Director Karl Knight attended the meeting.
- Contact reporter Michael Todd at 714-9104 or email mtodd@dailynews.vi.
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