Blackouts Cross Party Lines as Demands for Answers Grow

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NASSAU, BAHAMAS – What were once occasional power interruptions have become long, unpredictable outages, turning homes into ovens, and leaving families to sweat through yet another restless night.

The growing outrage has now crossed the political line, as Golden Gates Member of Parliament Pia Glover-Rolle says she spent the night standing with constituents while they endured hours without electricity.

In a statement to residents via the constituency WhatsApp channel, she said:

“Families are losing hundreds of dollars in groceries. Parents are struggling to care for young children in stifling conditions. Seniors and persons living with chronic illnesses are being forced to endure dangerous levels of heat. Small businesses are suffering financial losses, and many residents are unable to rest at night or function productively during the day.”

Glover-Rolle says she’s written to Bahamas Power and Light demanding a full explanation for the outages, a timeline for repairs, and regular updates to residents.

She’s also requesting a meeting with BPL’s executive and technical teams.

However, for residents, the answers can’t come soon enough.

Resident –

“They went off around 10, 10:15 Sunday night. Monday came, nothing, no word was said, nothing. Came back home Monday afternoon, six o’clock. Power was still off.”

For this next resident, its an all too familiar cycle.

Resident –

“My thing is how much infrastructure is there gonna be? Every year it’s infrastructure, infrastructure.”

Energy and Utilities Minister Jobeth Coleby-Davis has repeatedly said the outages are the result of critical infrastructure upgrades needed to strengthen the country’s electrical grid.

Speaking on the sidelines of the New Providence Gas LNG groundbreaking, the minister said the disruptions could continue until the end of August, leaving Bahamians to bare the crisis for the remaining summer months.

Jobeth Coleby-Davis – Minister of Energy and Utilities

“We spoke about the foundational updates and the new substations that are being built, and some of that is related to circuits being online so they can complete the foundational work. They’re working to complete that, and hopefully by the end of August that should all be done.”

In an update to her constituents, Glover-Rolle said BPL’s CEO told her a major fault at the Ballou Hills Power Station triggered the outages, and that service has since been restored.

While officials say the current disruptions are the price for a stronger electrical grid tomorrow, for many Bahamians suffering through today’s heat, that promise offers little comfort.

Residents say they what they need now isn’t just an explanation, but reliable power they can count on.