NASSAU, BAHAMAS: Opposition Leader Michael Pintard has blasted Prime Minister Philip Davis’ national address on energy reform as an exercise in “spin” and “excuses,” arguing that the administration has failed to provide clear timelines or solutions to the country’s worsening electricity crisis despite hundreds of millions of dollars being poured into Bahamas Power and Light (BPL).
Responding Tuesday evening to the Prime Minister’s address a night earlier, Pintard said Bahamians who tuned in hoping for concrete answers on persistent outages, high electricity costs and BPL’s troubled infrastructure were instead left with more promises.
“Last night, the Prime Minister unfortunately wasted a number of Bahamians’ time with a speech that did not have the solutions most persons tuned in to receive,” Pintard said.
“The truth is, at this stage, Bahamians don’t need the flowery language in a country where the power is unreliable, where families are paying more for less, and everyday life is being disrupted by the energy crisis.”
Pintard seized on Davis’ declaration that “the buck stops” with him, arguing that the Prime Minister must therefore accept responsibility for BPL’s present condition.
He noted that Davis has served almost five years as Prime Minister and previously served as Deputy Prime Minister, maintaining that he has had direct responsibility for BPL for a significant period.
“If the buck truly stops with him, so does the responsibility for the mess that BPL is in,” Pintard said.
The Opposition Leader also pointed to a power outage that occurred during the Prime Minister’s address, saying the incident underscored the frustration being experienced by households and businesses.
“Before he was able to finish the national conversation on energy reform, the lights went out,” Pintard said. “That moment captures what so many Bahamians feel every single day — the frustration, the helplessness, and the loss of confidence across our country.”
He argued that the outages have moved beyond inconvenience, particularly for residents who rely on electricity for refrigerated medication or medical equipment.
Pintard highlighted Grand Cay, where residents recently endured prolonged outages, while pointing to similar electricity challenges in Abaco, Eleuthera, other Family Islands and parts of New Providence.
“Families are suffering. Seniors are sitting in dark homes. Small businesses are losing inventory, customers, and by extension, income,” he said.
Pintard also rejected the Prime Minister’s focus on BPL overtime costs and alleged management failures, describing the overtime controversy as a “despicable distraction” from the wider energy crisis.
Davis, during his national address, raised concerns about overtime expenditure at BPL as part of broader management and operational problems at the utility.
But Pintard questioned who should ultimately be held responsible for approving and managing overtime.
“If there are problems with scheduling, whose responsibility is it, and what penalties are going to be put in place to make sure that they do their job? Who will be held accountable?” he asked.
Pintard further demanded a detailed accounting of the money invested in BPL and the country’s electricity infrastructure, claiming more than $430 million has been directed toward the sector over the past three years without producing the reliability Bahamians were promised.
“What results have we got that justify this $430 million-plus, when the lights are going off more than ever?” he asked.
The Opposition Leader said the administration must now provide precise timelines for when Bahamians can expect improvements under its energy reform programme, along with clarity on who will be responsible for delivering those improvements.
“What exactly will Bahamians see at the end of this energy reform?” Pintard asked. “What is the precise timeline for the Prime Minister and his team to fix what is going on?”
He also accused Davis of attempting to “gaslight the public” over the severity of the crisis and argued that accepting responsibility must extend beyond rhetoric.
“The Prime Minister told us that the buck stops with him. If that statement is to mean anything, then accountability cannot stop with a speech,” Pintard said. “Accountability requires consequences. Accountability requires truthfulness. It requires leadership.”
Pintard concluded by calling on Davis to move beyond speeches and deliver measurable improvements to the electricity system.
“Prime Minister — less about the speeches. Fix it. Fix what is broken, and end the suffering that so many Bahamians are experiencing because of this energy crisis,” he said.
“You are in the chair. Fix it.”
