NASSAU, BAHAMAS: The Opposition is demanding greater transparency from the Davis administration over its deal with Bahamas Grid Company, as it questions whether the company has the manpower and expertise needed to manage the country’s electrical grid amid ongoing power outages and high electricity bills.
FNM Shadow Minister of Energy, Utilities and Aviation Dr. S. André Rollins said Bahamians deserve answers about the state of the electrical infrastructure and the government’s decision to transfer hundreds of millions of dollars in Bahamas Power & Light assets to BGC.
Rollins said the PLP promised energy reform five years ago, but claimed Bahamians are now paying more for electricity while receiving less reliable service.
“Bahamians have never paid so much to their power provider while getting so little power in return,” Rollins said.
He accused the Davis administration of using a privatization process for New Providence’s electrical grid that involved no competitive bidding, claiming the government instead handpicked the newly formed BGC to receive hundreds of millions of dollars worth of BPL assets and the right to charge consumers for managing the grid.
Rollins also renewed calls for the government to disclose the identities of the private equity investors behind BGC.
The FNM MP said sources within BPL have identified electrical faults within the grid as the primary cause of this summer’s catastrophic power outages.
He further claimed those sources say BGC does not have enough expertise on staff to repair the numerous faults and has been attempting to recruit BPL employees to carry out the work.
Rollins said the alleged shortage of manpower is concerning not only because of the impact on consumers, but also because of safety concerns surrounding the electrical infrastructure.
He claimed sources have warned that urgent repairs are needed and alleged that some portions of the grid are “literally being held together with tape.”
Rollins also pointed to the departure of Pike, BGC’s former partner in the privatization arrangement, saying the company has lost access to Pike’s global reach in the energy industry and its ability to source hard-to-find replacement parts at lower prices.
He claimed that with Pike and its workers gone, and BPL linesmen unwilling to leave BPL for BGC, the grid operator lacks the manpower needed to effectively manage the system.
Rollins said BGC is forced to rely on BPL whenever the grid fails and linesmen are needed to carry out repairs.
He questioned whether consumers are therefore paying unnecessarily higher electricity bills for a service he claims BGC is currently unequipped to provide.
With residential and business customers facing losses from power outages alongside higher electricity costs, Rollins said the public is entitled to know what penalties BGC is required to pay under its contract with the government if it fails to meet its obligations.
He is also joining the FNM chairman in calling for Prime Minister Philip Davis, Energy Minister JoBeth Coleby-Davis, and executives of BPL and BGC to hold open town hall meetings on the condition and maintenance of the electrical infrastructure on New Providence and the Family Islands.
“The public deserves transparency from the government on its deal with BGC,” Rollins said, arguing that power outages and high electricity bills are more than an inconvenience because lives and businesses suffer when electricity is unreliable and too costly.
Rollins is the MP for Long Island and serves as the FNM’s Shadow Minister of Energy, Utilities and Aviation.
