The Tribune

By FAY SIMMONS

TRIBUNE BUSINESS REPORTER

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

PERSISTENT electricity outages on Abaco are creating a growing headache for short-term rental operators, who said guests are increasingly being left without answers when they ask the simple question: when is the power coming back?

Jessica Simms, owner of Simms Estate, a short-term rental business in Abaco, said repeated outages were disrupting operations, damaging appliances and making it increasingly difficult to provide a comfortable experience for guests.

“We also cater to international guests. Some of them aren't used to not having electricity, and so the first thing they ask you is, ‘When is it coming back on?’ And we never have an answer to give them,” said Mrs Simms.

She said the outages were affecting almost every aspect of running her properties, from air conditioning and refrigeration to cooking and laundry, while some appliances had also been damaged.

“Most of our appliances run off electricity. They need to use the stove, the microwave, the fridge, the AC. Then I have a few appliances that went bad, so I had to get those repaired and fixed,” she said.

Ms Simms said the interruptions were also creating problems with preparing rooms for incoming guests.

“Right now, because of these outages, our washer has just gone out, so now I have to find an alternative to washing and getting the rooms ready for our guests. It's minor issues like that that set you back,” she said.

She said the outages were particularly difficult because businesses were not given clear information about when electricity would be restored, leaving operators to make their own arrangements to keep their properties running.

Mrs Simms said the cost of installing alternative power was also prohibitive for smaller businesses, particularly those operating multiple rental units.

“For us right now, we have multiple units, and to power that we would need at least a $10,000 generator for us to bring that in from the United States,” she said.

“And when you add shipping, installation and all of the things to get it in place that can add up to $40,000 easy.”

She said businesses could not simply absorb those additional costs without consequences for their customers.

“Who am I going to siphon this bill onto? My guests? I really can't, because despite trying to offer affordable but comfortable living, that means I would have to raise my prices. That also means I'm going to lose customers because things are already expensive on Abaco as it is,” said Mrs Simms.

She argued that the electricity challenges needed to be considered alongside Abaco's rapid growth, with Government and Bahamas Power and Light assessing both current and future demand on the island.

“I feel like the Government should at least have done a survey on each of the Family Islands to find out how much actual power they need and how much power they're going to have to generate to power these stations,” she said.

“You have to plan for the future. You have thousands of homes and you have hundreds of homes still under construction. You don't have enough capacity, and then you're going to try and jam those people on the same circuit that's already failing. It don't make no sense to me.”

Mrs Simms stressed that the problem was not new for Abaco and dated back to before Hurricane Dorian.

“We've been having outages from even before Dorian. This isn't new,” she said.

She said the island's growth had made the need for adequate generation and distribution capacity even more pressing, while suggesting that government could consider assistance for businesses and residents seeking alternative energy.

“I feel like the government should, like each island, take their time and properly assess how much wattage and how much power is actually being generated, how much power is being consumed, and figure out how they can fix it or provide stipends for persons that actually want to get alternative energy,” said Mrs Simms.

Meanwhile, Bahamas Power and Light's latest update on Little Grand Cay, who has been plagued by electricity woes consistently over the past weeks, shows the challenges facing the wider Abaco electricity network.

BPL Northern Regional Manager Marvin Green said a replacement generation unit had been successfully loaded onto a barge but its departure had been delayed because of low tides.

Mr Green said the barge had initially encountered difficulties accessing a dock where the equipment was to be collected before another suitable location was found.

“The captain had made an attempt to start the journey, however, he could not because the tide was too low, and so right now they have to wait. We have to work with the tides,” said Mr Green.

He said BPL was keen to move the generator as quickly as possible but would not compromise the safety of the vessel or equipment, particularly after a previous generator was damaged during transit between Moore's Island, Grand Cay and Walker's Cay.

“We obviously want to work safely. We know that the last time we sent a perfectly fine running generator from Moore's Island to Grand Cay to Walker's Key, there was a mishap in transit, and that generator could not perform. We don't want to repeat that mistake,” he said.

“We want to do it expeditiously, but cautiously, to get the unit there safely. The captain cannot jeopardize the safety of the vessel, nor of the equipment.”

Mr Green said the high tide was expected between 4pm and 6pm, allowing the barge to begin its journey, with the trip expected to take no more than eight hours.

BPL has said the replacement unit is intended to restore and stabilise electricity service in Little Grand Cay, while the company is also advancing a longer-term generation plan for the community aimed at providing increased capacity, backup generation and greater security of supply.

The company said it is evaluating vendors for the long-term project, with the objective of reducing the likelihood that the unavailability of a single generation unit could result in an extended outage affecting the entire community.

BPL also said customers affected by the Little Grand Cay outage would be able to seek assistance with its damage-claim process once electricity service has been restored and stabilised.