Above: USVI Governor John de Jongh meets with ESG officials (Photo: OG)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

The United States Virgin Islands is moving forward with its plan to make the territory’s public schools more energy efficient, awarding a multimillion-dollar energy savings performance contract to Energy Systems Group.

The USVI and ESG will be launching the second phase of its initiative, which will retrofit 34 public schools, along with certain facilities operated by the Virgin Islands Department of Education, to conserve energy.

The contract awarded last week is for $10.8 million; it will feature retrofits involving water and electricity conservation measures.

“The project is expected to generate approximately $2.9 million in local spending and tax revenues,” said USVI Governor John de Jongh in a statement.

The energy savings could total almost $1.7 million for the Department of Education for the decade following the completion of the project.

Construction on the second phase will begin in May; it is slated to take 14 months.