Block I
43:35Bill No. 36-0135, “An act amending title 29 Virgin Islands Code, chapter 5, section 294 regarding expedited building permits for developers.” Proposed by Senator Kenneth L. Gittens Invited Testifiers: Honorable Jean-Pierre Oriol, Commissioner, Department of Planning and Natural Resources
Block II
03:24:40The Committee will receive an update from the Department of Planning and Natural Resources with a focus on the implementation of the Comprehensive Land and Water Use Plan, including a review of: • Progress made to date • Current or anticipated challenges • The projected timeline for next steps in the implementation process Invited Testifier: Honorable Jean-Pierre Oriol, Commissioner, Department of Planning and Natural Resources
Block III
05:04:34The Committee will receive testimony from the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority on the status of FEMA-funded power plant upgrades and recovery projects at, including a review of: • Progress on FEMA-funded replacement of the Richmond Power Plant on St. Croix and unit upgrades at the Randolph Harley Plant on St. Thomas, including the design-build solicitation process and anticipated construction timeline. • Critical resilience projects such as undergrounding of electrical lines, installation of advanced composite utility poles, battery energy storage systems, and advanced metering. • Integration of the recently commissioned solar farms on St. Croix into the WAPA power grid and their impact on system reliability, as well as any plans for solar development and integration in the St. Thomas–St. John district. Invited Testifier: Lemuel Lavinier, Chief Operating Officer, Electric System, Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority Noel Hodge, Chief Engineer, Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority Vernon Alexander, Director of Special Projects, Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority Maxwell George, Director of Project Management, Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority Joelle Webster, Director of Grants Management, Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority