NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Bahamas Power and Light Company Limited (BPL) is reassuring consumers on mainland Eleuthera that significant progress is being made toward long-term energy goals. The company remains on track to meet its June 2026 target for the full discontinuation of rental generation on the island, a move expected to bring a new era of energy reliability with a strengthened and resilient power network for both Eleuthera and Harbour Island.
BPL acknowledged recent interruptions in electricity supply in Central and South Eleuthera, which occurred over the past week and were primarily caused by severe weather conditions.
According to Mr. Pedro Marcello, Regional Manager for the Southern Region, Family Island Division, “The inclement weather not only forced several generation units offline but also resulted in a pole fire that caused a prolonged outage from Rock Sound to Bannerman Town.”
He explained, “While our crews are equipped to conduct some repairs during rainy conditions, safety protocols prevent them from working during lightning storms and other extreme weather events. Unfortunately, these conditions contributed to delayed response times, but the safety of our personnel remains our top priority as we work to restore power as quickly and safely as possible.”
In addition to weather-related outages, BPL noted that there have been sporadic and isolated power interruptions. “In response, we are increasing manpower on Eleuthera and accelerating infrastructure upgrades to enhance response times and improve the reliability of electricity supply across the island,” the company said.
These plans were highlighted during a press briefing by Mr. Marcello at the Office of the Prime Minister. He stated, “We are actively implementing our Restructuring Manpower Plan to better serve the growing needs of consumers in Eleuthera. Alongside this, infrastructure upgrades are ongoing. Two new generation units were recently brought online at the Rock Sound Power Station, and repairs are underway at the Hatchet Bay Power Station. We are also developing adjacent land for the introduction of solar micro-grids, which will contribute to long-term sustainability.”
“Our success in Harbour Island demonstrates the positive impact of these initiatives. The island currently enjoys a stable and surplus power supply, sufficient to meet demand for the next five to seven years, assuming nominal economic growth. We are working diligently to replicate that success on the mainland,” he added.
“Efforts are also ongoing to replace aging equipment and improve network reliability,” Mr. Marcello continued. “Our goal is to have all BPL-owned generation units on mainland Eleuthera fully operational by June 2026, eliminating the need for temporary rental units. Once completed, synchronized generation across stations will reduce power shortfalls, minimize load shedding, and ensure a stronger, more resilient grid.”
