The Tribune

By LETRE SWEETING

Tribune Staff Reporter

lsweeting@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMAS Power and Light will try to relieve power woes in North Andros with rental generators while working to create a new power station on the island.

The unreliability of electricity in North Andros intensified after a catastrophic fire destroyed a BPL station there in July, leaving residents scrambling to preserve goods.

Power troubles since then have been sufficiently significant to prompt residents to contemplate life-changing decisions, such as temporarily relocating to New Providence to do business.

BPL chief executive officer Shevonn Cambridge said yesterday: “As we gear up now to look at putting in the long-term solution, we’re going to supplement the supply in North Andros with a little bit more reliable rental power in the interim, but we are also going to build a new power station down there.

“A new power station is an 18-to-24-month project because we’re looking at several options, and one of them is actually to put in a hybrid solution that’s going to be a little bit more of a greener solution than what was formerly in North Andros.

“We’re going to use this as an opportunity to probably combine some of the generation assets between central and north, which would give us greater efficiencies in our operations in Andros in general.”

Mr Cambridge said BPL is focusing on a national energy policy target of 30 per cent by 2030 through a transition to greener fuel and alternative forms of power generation in the country.

“So, we have a plan to roll out some renewable energy solutions in New Providence, as well as in a number of our Family Islands, mainly starting out with some of the larger islands. And we’re hoping to get that done by 2025 or thereabouts.

“You’re going to see it in North Andros, probably within the next 12 months. In New Providence, there are plans that are well underway as well to do some green implementation within the next 12 months. So we’ve started off already with the commissioning of our battery storage system, which will actually supplement any renewable energy injection into the New Providence grid.”

Energy and Transport Minister JoBeth Coleby-Davis addressed what she called “deep public concerns with consistent energy supply and elevated electricity bills.”

“These concerns are felt by both residential and business consumers,” she said. “It is my full expectation that consumers will see and feel relief in very short order.

“In the coming days, I will speak to a comprehensive strategic plan for energy in The Bahamas. Key focus areas of this plan will include a reduction in energy costs and improving the consistency of energy supply.”