The Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority has officially commissioned the Hogensborg Solar Farm on St. Croix, the largest utility-scale solar project in the U.S. Virgin Islands, marking a major milestone in the territory’s shift toward renewable energy, the authority announced in a press release.
During a ribbon-cutting ceremony held Friday, June 13, in Estate Hogensborg, WAPA leaders and local government officials celebrated the launch of the 48,210-panel facility, which can generate up to 22.4 megawatts of power. The solar farm features advanced battery storage systems, developed by Honeywell, designed to support the grid during outages and peak energy demand, according to the press release.
“This project is more than a milestone — it’s a movement,” said WAPA CEO Karl Knight. “Being able to rely more on indigenous sources of energy and less on costly imported fuels like diesel and propane marks a pivotal shift for WAPA and the Virgin Islands. This solar project demonstrates our dedication to building a cleaner, more reliable energy future — one that empowers our community and protects our environment for generations to come.”
The Hogensborg facility is the third solar installation on St. Croix and the fourth utility-scale renewable energy project WAPA has helped implement. It was developed by VIElectron and is owned by VIRAPC, the press release stated.
Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. called the commissioning “real progress” in the territory’s clean energy push.
“This project moves us closer to a future where we can depend less on expensive, imported fuel and more on clean, local energy,” he said. “It also reflects our larger effort to transform the Water and Power Authority into a more modern and sustainable utility.”
WAPA officials say the Hogensborg project supports the territory’s Vision 2040 goal of achieving 75% renewable energy and aligns with the authority’s broader microgrid development strategy to enhance grid resilience, the release stated.
Building on the momentum, WAPA has begun development of the Fortuna Solar Farm on St. Thomas. That project, expected to be completed by late 2026, will include 94,440 panels and a 25-megawatt battery storage system designed to stabilize power for the St. Thomas-St. John district, it said.
A recording of the ribbon-cutting ceremony is available here.
St. Croix Source
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