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PRESIDENT CLINTON, GOV. MAPP, AND BLOOMBERG CO-FOUNDER TOM SECUNDA ANNOUNCE THREE SOLAR PROJECTS IN U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS


Commitment by Expedia Group will solarize a community center on St. Thomas and two of the three schools on St. John

ST. THOMAS, U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS – Today at the Family Resource Center of St. Thomas, President Bill Clinton, along with USVI Gov. Kenneth Mapp, Bloomberg Co-Founder Tom Secunda, and officials from Expedia Group announced the solarization of three sites in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Along with the Family Resource Center, two of the three schools on St. John will be solarized. The solar panels, batteries, and installation are being funded by Expedia Group as a commitment of the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Action Network on Post-Disaster Recovery, in partnership with Tom Secunda and Bloomberg Philanthropies, Construction for Change, and the Sextant Foundation.

The 2017 hurricanes caused massive damage to the U.S. Virgin Islands, resulting in St. John losing 100% of its power for more than 100 days in some areas and causing an estimated $10.8 billion in total damage to the U.S. Virgin Islands. Given the catastrophic damage and power loss, many facilities across the islands – including all three schools on St. John, and several critical community facilities such as the Family Resource Center on St. Thomas – were forced to temporarily close.

The three sites being solarized were identified as high priorities by local partners:

  • Family Resource Center, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
  • Saint John Christian Academy, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands
  • Gifft Hill School, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

The newly-installed solar systems will provide these sites with reliable, sustainable sources of clean energy, and in the event of another hurricane or natural disaster, will help keep these three locations open as a result of having lights, refrigeration, and power for phones and other communication tools.

Today’s visit concluded this week’s stops in Miami and the Caribbean by President Clinton to promote sustainability and resiliency in the region. On Tuesday, he hosted the second formal meeting of the CGI Action Network on Post-Disaster Recovery, announcing new projects helping islands recover from last year’s hurricane season and prepare for this year’s storms. On Thursday, President Clinton officially opened a 3MW solar farm on St. Lucia that the Clinton Climate Initiative helped to facilitate.

“The strength and determination of the people of the U.S. Virgin Islands is inspiring, as they came together after not just one, but two devastating hurricanes last year,” said President Clinton. “As they know all too well, some of the most significant damage from the hurricanes was due to loss of power, which shut down key facilities like schools and community centers, led to reductions in health care services, and left communities with few safe havens for refuge. These critical sites will now be more prepared to handle the aftermath of future storms, while making their long-term power sources more resilient, more sustainable, and lower cost.”

“The U.S. Virgin Islands are demonstrating a clear pathway to rebuilding energy systems in a cleaner and stronger way after natural disasters and, together with the Clinton Foundation and Expedia, we are proud to help accelerate the recovery with innovative solutions,” said Bloomberg’s Tom Secunda. “The use of solar energy in particular offers an incredible opportunity to accelerate the region’s transition to renewable energy and is a blue print for actions needed not just in the USVI, but throughout the Caribbean.”

“All of us at Expedia Group watched heartbroken last year as hurricane after hurricane slammed into the Caribbean. As the world’s travel platform, we knew we had a responsibility to help,” said Mark Okerstrom, CEO and president, Expedia Group. “Expedia Group’s work with the Clinton Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies aims to strengthen and create more resilient communities throughout the Caribbean by building or retrofitting safe spaces that will serve as critical gathering points during disasters.”

“On behalf of the people of the Virgin Islands, I would like to thank Expedia for this important donation and, of course, President Clinton and the Clinton Global Initiative and Tom Secunda and the Bloomberg Foundation for their unwavering commitment to the Territory and the region,” said Governor Mapp. “Solarization projects such as these make our community more resilient and I will do all I can to continue to support efforts to bring sustainable, affordable and clean energy to our communities. Today’s announcements represent a larger goal and vision to build a stronger and smarter Virgin Islands. I look forward to these projects being completed and working with the team to identify a site on St. Croix.”

Expedia Group made this commitment through the CGI Action Network on Post-Disaster Recovery, which brings together leaders from business, government, and civil society to implement solutions to help Caribbean islands still recovering from last year’s hurricane season. This is Expedia Group’s second solar commitment through CGI; it had previously announced its support of solarizing six schools in Dominica.

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About the CGI Action Network on Post-Disaster Recovery
The CGI Action Network on Post-Disaster Recovery convenes leaders from business, government, and civil society to make Commitments to Action that will help communities in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Dominica, and Antigua and Barbuda recover from last year’s devastating hurricane season and rebuild in a sustainable way. This Action Network builds upon the success of CGI and its Commitment to Action model, which over the years, has brought together leaders from across sectors to improve the lives of more than 430 million people in 180 countries worldwide.