Atlantis hits out at BPL after outage

As of Saturday, November 30, 2019

The Atlantis resort has hit out at Bahamas Power and Light following Friday night’s island-wide power outage.

A spokesperson said the power issues were “extremely disruptive” to the resort, which was close to 90 percent capacity.

“Last night’s power outage was extremely disruptive to our business and comes at considerable cost to Atlantis,” the spokesperson said.

“The resort was close to 90 percent occupancy and the irregular dips in power caused our backup generators to fail resulting in extreme inconvenience to our many guests.

“For the first time since Hurricane Dorian business was close to 2018 levels. This recurring power problem is most unfortunate especially given that the company has offered to deploy interim solutions and BPL has repeatedly rejected them.

“This blackout received international coverage on ESPN as it occurred during the final games of Battle 4 Atlantis. “

The outage hit New Providence shortly after 6pm, becoming island-wide at around 6.40pm. Before midnight, BPL said on its Facebook page that around 95 percent of customers had their power restored.

observer2 4 years, 11 months ago

The $650 million BEC bond offering will unfortunately not work to improve collections, lower power cost, reduce corruption or accelerate the shift to renewables.

Just like Resolve Bahamas recapitalized Bank of the Bahamas to now loose even more money. BEC will now be recapitalized to purchase last centuries carbon based generation plants and deploy them across a substandard above ground electric grid which will be destroyed by Dorian II. Let’s not forget the massive amounts of consultants fees.

Please don’t overlook the incestious nature of energy procurement in the Bahamas. The regulator URCA is the government, BEC is owned by the government, BEC’s biggest receivables is the government and one tightly controlled and connected group controls all oil imports.

Foreign investors will demand a government guarantee of the bond payments because government can’t shut itself for none payment of electric bills. Once the fix is in the government will stop paying its electric bill ... again.

When tief from tief god laugh.

observer2 4 years, 11 months ago

So when dey charge da bond fee da man in Kemp Road electric bill ga double from $30 to $60. And da man in Lyford Cay light bill ga increase from $10,000 a month to $10,030 a month.

Light for government and high level guys will still be zero because the government guarantee and paying the bond off.

birdiestrachan 4 years, 11 months ago

Where is mealy mouth Banister.? Call him. But he will say it is the PLP fault. even if they have been in power longer.

Porcupine 4 years, 11 months ago

A sad commentary on our State of affairs.

Naughtydread 4 years, 11 months ago

I think we should all make a pact as a country for everyone to pay the minimum amount down on their BPL bills moving forward. I think this would really make the government understand the complete dissatisfaction with the shenanigans that they play with citizens everyday.

observer2 4 years, 11 months ago

Naughtydread. Thanks for making this point. Sporadic, collective, peaceful, legal and non violent resistance which was practiced by Gandhi and Martin Luther King maybe help to focus our Lords and Master (yes we are slaves to BEC) to change course and not burden 20,000 BEC consumers with $650 million of debt ($32,500 per customer, for those who are not politically connected and don't have to pay for electricity).

Resistance would involve all Bahamian's including Atlantis for one month out of the year not paying the $30 bond fee in protest. It is not illegal to pay part of a bill, at least not yet, so the government would not be able to victimize all Bahamians or Bahamian corporations or Lyford Cay foreigners. We are all suffering under they tyranny of BEC.

Add up the cost of your generator, lost appliances, massive bills, oil and gas and you will see a subconscious collusion with the unintended impact of putting us all back 50 years.

Porcupine 4 years, 11 months ago

Absolutely correct on the civil disobedience. It seems the only thing that will work.

observer2 4 years, 11 months ago

D'Agular heavily critized the Atlantis maids for bringing attention to their low pay.

But when his out west controlled BEC created an ESPN global black out for millions of ppl around the world to see as Battle for Atlantis went dark and ppl changed channels his mouth is shut.

D'Agular what is worse for the bahamas, dorian, maids stuggling for a living wage with VAT at 12% or BEC?

Bonefishpete 4 years, 11 months ago

Well if all the help leave Atlantis won't be no need for power.

bahamianson 4 years, 11 months ago

Nothing but chaos and mayhem in the Bahamas, instead of " it's Better in the Bahamas".

Chucky 4 years, 11 months ago

First of all, I don’t understand the comments regarding the additional $30.00 to be added to the power bills. ?

The debt is there, government has only one source of funds, and that’s from the people, we gone have to pay this one way or they other.

There is only one solution that can eliminate this debt, and that is for the government to sell off the utility and use some of the proceeds to pay out the debts.

If you want to protest the problem, let’s march downtown, with 150,000 or more and demand they sell off the utility to a competent foreign power company with experience.

The only way to make a government listen is to protest on such a scale that they see their police and Defense force is vastly out numbered and they get scared.

Well_mudda_take_sic 4 years, 11 months ago

The government is not the only source of funds Chucky. Those who have become multi-millionaires many times over, as a result of their crimes against the state that have kept the public purse depleted for decades, are also an important potential source of funds and we, as a people, should not be dismissive of future efforts by our country to reclaim these funds. Even Red China, Hong Kong and Switzerland are now cracking down on the corrupt political elite of other countries who are known to be hiding the massive amounts of funds they have swindled through bribes, kickbacks and outright theft from the taxpayers of their respective home countries.

VDSheep 4 years, 11 months ago

There is something terribly wrong with this country ' we must stop talking about it ' and fix it - before it's too late!

sheeprunner12 4 years, 11 months ago

For the most part ........... there is something wrong with Nassau ....... The rest of us out here (Out Islands) just pick up the crumbs and endure the SHIT that Nassau throws at us.

TalRussell 4 years, 11 months ago

Yeah, no. Gasing back over many governing administrations, all that has accomplished, was swap BEC name, for new, improved BPL..- along with, higher light bills. ..

Sickened 4 years, 11 months ago

If the ex minister's and MP's and their lovers and friends would return just a tiny portion - say 2 billion - of what they stole from us over the years, then we would be in much better shape.
They should of plea bargained with Shame and come to an agreement whereby he would return just $100 million to the government in return for not investigating him further. Shame would have agreed to that in a heart beat.

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