NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The government has approved a proposal for a 61 MW facility in New Providence and is moving to address the cost and reliability of electricity in the country “as a matter of urgency” Economic Affairs Minister Michael Halkitis said yesterday.
Halkitis was addressing a Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA) Board of Directors and membership meeting yesterday.
He said: “We have approved a proposal for a 61MW facility here in New Providence. We expect that to have an impact.”
Halkitis noted that the Davis administration is pursuing the goal of 30 percent renewable energy generation by 2030. He noted that the government believes that this can be achieved through private sector entities building solar fields and selling power to BPL via power purchase agreements and by establishing micro-grids in the family islands.
“We working with our partners such as the IDB in the area of micro-grids but we are also are encouraging private sector individuals who want to get into energy production to bring their proposal,” he continued.
“We have approved a few already. It is an area that has been lagging behind for a long time but I can assure you we are addressing this as a matter of urgency, that being the cost and reliability of electricity. We are taking steps in that area,” said Halkitis.
Works Minister Alfred Sears said recently stated that the government will subsidize BPL rather than let the company increase the fuel surcharge. He also previously noted that BPL’s “contingency plan” for the peak summer period will see 83 MW of rental generation added to the company’s generation supply.
To deal with the pressure of escalating fuel costs, the Davis administration has been pushing the United States to remove sanctions on Venezuela, with the country looking to revive its PetroCaribe oil arrangement.
