COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ENERGY
AND TECHNOLOGY
BILL NO. 28-0079
Twenty-Eighth Legislature of the Virgin Islands
June 8, 2009
An Act authorizing the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority to float bonds to build new
electric power generating plants utilizing renewable non-polluting energy sources and for
other purposes
PROPOSED BY: Senator Craig W. Barshinger
1 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the Virgin Islands:
2 SECTION 1. Notwithstanding any of the provisions contained in title 30 Virgin
3 Islands Code, chapter 5, the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority may issue bonds to
4 build new electric power generating plants on the island districts of St. Thomas/St. John and
5 St. Croix and may purchase or lease land on each island suitable to erect each plant. The
6 Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority may design each plant and utilize $400,000,000
7 for each plant, and each plant must be separate and apart from each other and must be
8 independently maintained when built.
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1 SECTION 2. Modern technologies that incorporate renewable sources, provisions
2 for net-metering distributed generation and smart metering must be used insofar as
3 practicable.
4 SECTION 3. Deep sea cables between the islands may be laid with the funding
5 authorized in Section 1.
6 BILL SUMMARY
7 Section 1 provides the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority with the authority
8 to issue bonds in the amount of $400,000,000 dollars for each electric power generating plant
9 to be erected and built on the islands of St. Croix, St. Thomas and St. John. In addition the
10 authority will have the leeway to purchase or lease land on each island suitable for the
11 building of each plant. At present the Authority has bonding capacity of $500,000,000 dollars
12 and the monies of the Authority are deposited and sent as the Governing Board directs.
13 Section 2 mandates that modern technologies that incorporate renewable energy
14 sources, net and smart metering be use.
15 Section 3 authorizes the laying of deep sea cables between the islands.
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18 BR09-0574/May 29, 2009/AA
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