Opposition Leader: “They Have Failed to Deliver on Their Promises”

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NASSAU , BAHAMAS – The political debate over Bahamas Power and Light continues to heat up, with both major political parties, which have shared governance of the country for the past half-century, continuing to point fingers.

Opposition Leader Michael Pintard is accusing the Davis administration of shifting blame instead of fixing the country’s electricity crisis.

As our Delvardo Emmanuel tells us in this report, Pintard insists the government must take responsibility for the country’s power crisis.

Michael Pintard – Leader, Free National Movement

“We believe that the government’s view that the blackouts today are a result of the Free National Movement’s decisions is not only nonsense, but an absolute lie.”

Pintard said the government is misleading the public by suggesting the current energy crisis was created by the previous administration.

He argued that when the FNM left office, Bahamas Power and Light had more than 170 megawatts of available generating capacity, including 135 megawatts at Station A and an additional 35 megawatts from General Electric engines that had been returned to service.

He said the real issue was never power generation, but the need to modernize the country’s aging transmission and distribution network.

Michael Pintard – Leader, Free National Movement

“The government knows full well that when they came to power we had 135 megawatts of capacity at Station A, and GE engines that provided an additional at least 35 megawatts. Other assets that were out of circulation were brought back online. So, generation of power was not the central issue.”

Pintard claims his administration had already identified the need for major upgrades to the grid and planned to invest $50 million through a rate reduction bond to improve the transmission and distribution system.

He alleges the Davis administration failed to fully execute that plan while also making a series of policy decisions that reduced revenue needed to improve BPL’s infrastructure.

The Opposition leader says those decisions have left the country with a less reliable power system.

Michael Pintard – Leader, Free National Movement

“In 2020 and 2021, we did not have load shedding during the summer. We had corrected the problems of 2019. Now we are facing catastrophic failure. The public should be restless about the failure of this government to deliver what it promised: reliable power, better prices for power, and cleaner power.”

The Opposition leader is also calling for greater transparency from the government on the state of Bahamas Power and Light, including questions surrounding its energy reform plans, saying Bahamians deserve honest answers as they continue to experience frequent power outages.