Passenger ferries between Red Hook and Cruz Bay have charged $3 a ride for almost 15 years. That’s likely to change. In February, ferry operators alerted the Public Service Commission higher fuel costs were making a price hike necessary. Formal requests for new fares are now to be expected next month, according to the Virgin Islands Daily News.
In another report, the Water and Power Authority said higher fuel prices are likely to generate as much as a 10 percent rise in electric bills next month. "The territory is solely dependent on fossil fuels," said Alberto Bruno-Vega, WAPA’s executive director. A year ago, the utility was paying $41 a barrel for oil. Oil is now selling in the open market at about $54.