Energy Minister: “Some Interruptions Will Occur This Summer”

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NASSAU, THE BAHAMAS – Energy Minister, JoBeth Coleby Davis, says residents should brace for some service interruptions due to the high summer demand, but says through it’s Summer Readiness Program, the nation’s power giant is equipping itself to deal with as blackout periods as possible.

Our Joshua Williams, has been covering the budget debate extensively this week and has this report.

With the heat of summer comes the spotlight on Bahamas Power and Light once again.

The power company has long faced criticism over load shedding and blackouts. In fact, just 48 hours after delivering a national address on Wednesday, parts of New Providence were thrust into darkness during the early hours of Friday morning.

Energy Minister Jobeth Coleby-Davis says while the outages are frustrating, they are part of the growing pains associated with major system upgrades that consumers will have to deal with.

“As we advance through our Summer Readiness Programme, some service interruptions will still occur. This is an expected part of the extensive infrastructure upgrades taking place across New Providence, all while we continue to operate and maintain the system that powers thousands of homes and businesses each day.” – Energy Minister Jobeth Coleby-Davis

The minister admitting that in some areas, electrical loads normally shared between two circuits are temporarily being carried by just one circuit while construction work continues.

“This added demand can strain sections of the network and heighten the likelihood of interruptions. In many ways, this effort resembles renovating a home while still living in it.” – Energy Minister Jobeth Coleby-Davis

However, that explanation has not sat well with some members of the public or the Free National Movement, particularly when it comes to power issues in the family islands.

Many have pointed to last weekend’s blackout in Cat Island, which left the rake n scrape festival plunged into darkness.

But the minister pushed back against the criticism, saying steps are already being taken to address those concerns.

“At BPL, our leaders have prepared for a peak summer demand of 300 MW on New Providence, 27 MW on Abaco, and 20.5 MW on Eleuthera. Currently, BPL has 340 MW installed capacity on New Providence, which will increase to 385 MW at the end of the month, 36 MW on Abaco, and 24 MW on Eleuthera, which will increase to 26.5 MW by the end of July. By August, we expect 29 MW of capacity on Eleuthera. “ – Energy Minister Jobeth Coleby-Davis