Bahamas Power and Light headquarters.
By RIEL MAJOR
Tribune Staff Reporter
rmajor@tribunemedia.net
THE frequent power cuts carried out by Bahamas Power and Light have negatively impacted the home rental business, according to Tourism and Aviation Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar.
Speaking to reporters outside of Cabinet yesterday, Mr D’Aguilar said load shedding is “vexing” and a number of businesses are being impacted.
He said: “I think probably in the part of the tourism sector (that) is being most impacted is probably the Airbnb, home rental businesses. I’m sure a number of homes don’t have back up power so those foreign visitors that have decided to use the Airbnb route probably have been impacted by that.
“The larger hotels, the larger properties and the larger restaurants generally have back up power, so the impact has been less significant there. I think the larger properties, most significant businesses…generally have back up power but it a very vexing issue.”
On Sunday, BPL CEO Whitney Heastie said the company sits “on the edge every day” and cannot guarantee there will be no further electricity cuts or when the nightmare will end.
He said while BPL’s peak demand is 250 megawatts, there is only a total of 210mw available, creating a 40mw shortfall and “no wiggle room”.
Crippled by a decaying generation fleet, parts that can no longer be procured and manufacturers that have not responded to BPL’s requests for help, the situation is grim. Mr Heastie said this level of system failure now being experienced is one that could not have been anticipated.
Consumers have called for clear answers as to when the load shedding situation will improve and have questioned what the company will do to soften the blow of lives often disrupted by electricity cuts. However, Mr Heastie said BPL cannot afford any form of compensation, while apologising for the utility provider’s failure to give uninterrupted service.
BPL began regular load shedding in mid-June.
Comments
ThisIsOurs 5 years, 2 months ago
"Mr Heastie said this level of system failure now being experienced is one that could not have been anticipated."
Of course it couldn't have been anticipated.
The senior manager who allegedly gave the order for an engineer to restart an engine, without a safety team in place resulting in a massive fire on May 28-2019 had literally no idea about safety precautions around those engines.
And as the story says..."BPL began regular load shedding in mid-June."
ABOMINATION 5 years, 2 months ago
Why does he have a need to mention ABB? Every single business in this country is affected. Tell that to the Salon owner, who everything ran by electricity.....has a perm or a dryer on a client's head and all shuts down! Tell that to countless Seniors who live alone, where a family member perhaps has to leave work to hopefully take them to a place that has some fan or a/c. The most important point....Generators are pollutants!! TOXIC and Noisy! You cannot even open your windows SIr! to get some fresh air, so you sweat buckets! THIS IS A NATIONAL CRISIS SIR! THIS IS NO JOKE! The next crisis will be consequences of people having to inhale the toxic fumes, and listen to the horrible loud generator motors going off around them. .....No thanks..would rather Solar. BTW, how dare BPL SAY THEY HAVE NO MONEY TO PAY FOR DAMAGES?! You better go back and do forensic audit to find out who took the money! BBP makes millions! someone has to be accountable! For Gods sake Bahamians wake up and say something!
Well_mudda_take_sic 5 years, 2 months ago
So why doesn't the yapping little white-haired poodle bite the ankles of his fellow cabinet minister Bannister instead of running around and telling everyone BPL and its problems don't fall within his portfolio or remit?
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