BPL Unveils $30M Family Island Power Restoration Project

Advertisement

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – For months, Family Islands like Abaco, Cat Island, and Long Island have struggled with frequent power disruptions, often caused by generator failures.

Harbour Island residents have also endured repeated blackouts, taking to social media and the streets to express their frustrations.

But BPL’s Regional Manager, Pedro Marcello, says change is on the horizon.

Pedro Marcello – Regional Manager, BPL
“Eleuthera has two power stations, one in Rock Sound and one in Hatchet Bay. Harbour Island has a substation that is energized but not yet in use. Our plan is to ensure all power stations can support each other so that whenever there’s a shortfall at one, the other can pick up the load.”

Harbour Island has also been chosen as a pilot site for smart metering, allowing residents to monitor electricity usage in real time.

On Eleuthera’s mainland, challenges remain.

Pedro Marcello – Regional Manager, BPL
“We still have issues with transformers and some lines that don’t have the required capacity. That’s why we developed this plan, which includes adding a new substation to meet the island’s growing power demands.”

BPL CEO Toni Seymour says work is already underway in Abaco to stabilize power supply.

Toni Seymour – CEO, BPL
“We are installing generation across all the main Abaco keys. The generator in Mowery is scheduled to be in service early next week, with two additional units going to Hopetown to supply low-demand areas, and another on Guana Cay.”

In Cat Island, outages were caused by the failure of two of four units.

Toni Seymour – CEO, BPL
“While repairing one failed unit, we’re also installing a new one to improve generation, expected to be completed by mid-next week.”

On Long Island, a surge knocked one unit offline, leaving the island vulnerable. BPL is considering a temporary generator in the south to balance supply, targeting completion by early next year.