The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMAS Power and Light has spent over $30 million to date on Abaco’s power restoration efforts, according to the company’s chief operations officer, with full restoration expected by September.

During a virtual press conference yesterday, Ian Pratt addressed the island’s restoration progress, saying factors such as material and equipment, labour costs, and shipping costs out of the US and Nassau have impacted efforts.

Power is anticipated to be restored in the areas of East Bay Street, Pelican Street, and Little Orchard by July 19; in Murphy Town (Murphy Town Boulevard) and Guana Cay by August 2; Treasure Cay North by August 9-19; the government subdivision by August 9; Dundas Town by August 16 and Leisure Lee/Bahama Coral Island by September 13.

In terms of customer reconnection, Mr Pratt said over 3,000 of the metres on Abaco have been returned to service and noted some communities have more customers now than prior to the storm.

Central Abaco was identified as an area where the most damage was experienced. Although Mr Pratt said most of North and South Abaco are restored, Mr Pratt said some transmission lines need to be rebuilt.

He added: “So we had two lines between Wilson City and Marsh Harbour. One was a much newer line built to a much stronger standard and that line that withstood damage with just a few poles to replace whereas the other line which is a much older line to a much thinner standard, that line was eradicated. So we’ll have to rebuild that line.

“The transmission line between Marsh Harbour and Cooper’s Town has to be rebuilt.”