NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Summer 2026 will be remembered for many events and activities. However, when Bahamians look back on this summer, the scorching heat as well as the many challenges and tragedies that
faced us will be top of mind. The history books will recall this year’s summer season as “one hell
of a summer” albeit others may describe it better as “the summer from hell”. This may be likened to the biblical description of hell as a place characterized by extremely hot temperatures, weeping, and gnashing of teeth. To compound the many issues that have faced us during this period, The Bahamas is experiencing the worst energy crisis in recent memory. Unfortunately, the Government, Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) and Bahamas Grid Company (BGC) seem clueless as to how to fix a crisis that now threatens our economy and nation at large.
Bahamians can’t catch a break
Bahamians continue to lament the astronomical increase in their electricity bills. There have been BPL customer complaints of doubled, tripled and quadrupled bills received in recent months resulting in significant reductions in the disposable income of our people with many being pushed towards the poverty line.
During this summer, BPL’s social media channels have been in overdrive on a daily basis as one power outage after another is announced. This has normalized occurrences that should be rare and unusual. Several communities have been repeatedly thrown into darkness as infants, elderly, sick, parents and caregivers have borne the brunt of unreliable power supply. This dire situation is worsened by the high cost of living which has left many frustrated and struggling to make ends meet. How are Bahamians supposed to survive in these conditions? The financial, mental and emotional toll on our citizens cannot be easily measured but the misery index is at an all time high in our nation.
No sector has been spared
As a result of frequent and prolonged power outages, we have also witnessed extensive disruptions in key sectors and industries which have impacted Bahamians negatively. Access to healthcare has been interrupted with the temporary suspension of important services, access to swift justice through the courts has been affected and access to timely information especially for Family Island residents via ZNS was obstructed recently as a result of the power outages. These are critical services in any nation.
Every sector and industry has been challenged during this summer. The horror stories have been vast and heartbreaking to say the least. Small and medium sized business which form part of the engine of our economy are on edge with some on the brink of collapse, insolvency or bankruptcy. Entrepreneurs are left questioning their life decisions and contemplating the way forward as the pressure mounts. It is a troubling state of affairs.
A threat to the Bahamian economy
Businesses across the nation have not been spared from this disaster as many have lost clients,
opportunities, equipment, appliances and inventory. How are business owners supposed to keep their businesses operational, meet payroll and cover their expenses? The Downtown area was one of the most recent victims of the BPL and BGC debacle. To put this in context, this area is home to the Cabinet building, the House of Assembly, the Senate, Judiciary, courts, the Central Bank of The Bahamas and other regulators, financial institutions, the Nassau Cruise Port, tourist attractions, commercial enterprises and much more.
It is well known that Bay Street welcomes majority of our non stop over tourists to New Providence. This is the area that was plagued by extended periods of power failures recently while Family Island destinations have not been spared this suffering. The sad reality is that long before Bay Street was directly hit, business owners across the country were already being adversely impacted. Regrettably, despite all of the mounting losses for individuals and businesses, no financial relief or compensation for long suffering BPL customers seems to be on the horizon. Rather, we have been insulted by a meager $8.45 rebate. Is the government, BPL and BGC really serious?
A sense of urgency
The government must act with a sense of urgency and seek the requisite assistance if necessary, as the current energy crisis threatens our economy and there appears to be no end in sight. The frequency, duration and extent of the power outages show that extraordinary measures and intervention are required.
One hell of a summer is not a box office hit or Netflix series, it is the reality that Bahamians have lived over the last several months. It is therefore imperative that the government and all stakeholders work together to find solutions to this national crisis. Egos and pride should be put aside in the national interest. This is not political; this is national and no one group has the monopoly on knowledge or solutions. The government must avoid the temptation to ignore sound counsel and it must understand that this crisis cannot be fixed with public relations. The Bahamian people have suffered long enough during this summer. One thing is certain: In the midst of it all, the indomitable and resilient Bahamian spirit will not be broken.
-Senator Arinthia S. Komolafe
