Officials from the Grand Bahama Port Authority meet with officials from the Grand Bahama Power Company.
NASSAU, The Bahamas--In the wake of persistent electricity outages on Grand Bahama, officials from Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) said they met with representatives from Grand Bahama Power Company (GBPC) on Saturday and are confident that rental generators on site at GBPC’s plant should help to stabilise the island’s electricity by the end of the week.
GBPA, in a statement issued on Sunday, said the unreliable electricity supply does not meet the standard of service that Grand Bahama’s electricity customers expect and deserve.
“Reliable power is fundamental to the well-being of our community and the continued success of our island,” said GBPA President Ian Rolle.
“We met with leaders at GBPC’s plant on Saturday to get a clear understanding of the issues currently impacting service reliability and the plan for remediation. At that meeting, it was evident that the GBPC team is working with urgency to repair generating units and bring them back into service. We saw that supplemental generating units are now on site and are assured that they will provide additional power and much-needed stability to the island’s electricity supply by the end of this week.”
The Port said it directed the utility provider to communicate timeliness and more detail that will help customers plan for potential power interruptions over the coming days until stability is returned to the grid.
“We will continue to monitor GBPC’s progress over the next few days and have stressed the need to resolve the issues as quickly as possible,” Rolle said. “As utility regulator, we have a responsibility to the residents and businesses of the island to ensure dependability of essential services, including electricity, at fair and reasonable rates. We remain committed to working with the Grand Bahama Power Company to ensure both reliability of service and stability of rates.”
The Davis administration has argued that the GBPC is regulated by the Utilities Regulation & Competition Authority and not the Port.
Over the weekend, GBPC came under fire for the frequent power outages.
In a statement released on Friday, Minister for Grand Bahama Ginger Moxey said the situation had reached an “unprecedented level” and needs “immediate action.”
“Our residents are justifiably frustrated as the current service continues to fall short of basic expectations,” Moxey, the member of Parliament (MP) for Pineridge, said.
Kwasi Thompson, MP for East Grand Bahama, said the frequent power cuts solidify why GBPC’s electricity rate should not be increased.
In a letter sent to GBPC on Friday, Thompson said residents in East Grand Bahama have experienced multiple power outages, some lasting for several hours, without warning or explanation. He said the issue has been ongoing for months.
“These outages have disrupted our daily lives, caused inconvenience, and resulted in financial losses,” Thompson said.
He added, “The quality of service provided by you has been consistently below standards.”
Kingsley Smith, West Grand Bahama and Bimini MP, said in a statement on Friday that Grand Bahamians are owed an explanation about why GBPC’s service has fallen short. He questioned if the company has enough equipment or adequate funding to source the resources that it needs to power Grand Bahama.
“We deserve better,” Smith said. “In fact, we demand better.”
In a press release issued on Friday, GBPC acknowledged that the recent power cuts on Grand Bahama have had significant impact on both residential and commercial customers. The power company said ongoing challenges with its largest generator at its Peel Street power station created a temporary supply issue, leading to load shedding.
“We are actively working to manage these disruptions and restore stability as quickly as possible,” GBPC’s statement said.
The company said it has secured more rental generators that are currently being installed to increase its power generation capacity while repairs are underway.
“Our teams are working around the clock to ensure this solution is implemented swiftly.”
This comes as GBPC is seeking a 6.3% increase in the base rate for electricity. Two years ago, the company was granted approval by GBPA for a 3.4% increase to the base rate.
Prime Minister Philip Davis has said there is no justification for another rate increase.
Meanwhile, a legal fight is underway in the Supreme Court regarding GBPA’s rights under the Hawksbill Creek Agreement, the legislation which created and governs the Port Authority.
GBPA has previously said it has yet to approve any increase and will review GBPC’s request and engage with key stakeholders over a 45-day period before making a determination on December 1. ~ The Nassau Guardian ~
