Minister: Blackouts highlight need for energy reform

BY LEANDRA ROLLE, Tribune Chief Reporter

Lrolle@tribunemedia.net 

Minister of Energy and Transport JoBeth Coleby-Davis during a sitting of the House of Assembly on May 1, 2024. Photo: Dante Carrer

FOLLOWING a major blackout that plunged half of New Providence into darkness on Thursday night, Energy Minister JoBeth Coleby-Davis said efforts are underway to prevent a recurrence and enhance power reliability.

The outage, which affected several areas in the eastern and western part of the island, was reportedly caused by a cable fault at Bahamas Power and Light’s (BPL) Clifton Pier Station that triggered a generation trip.

In a statement, BPL described the blackout as “unpredictable” but noted that quick action from its teams led to full restoration “within a short period of time.” While some areas had power restored quickly, others experienced prolonged outages due to additional work required on the company's transmission lines.

Mrs Coleby-Davis said the recent power cuts highlight the urgent need for electricity reforms in the country.

“The state of the country's infrastructure, transmission, and distribution lines is strained, trying to meet the high demand for power from homes and businesses,” she told reporters on the sidelines of an event Friday. “There is great urgency to focus our efforts on addressing these challenges and to communicate with the public about the work we are doing.”

She emphasised that BPL’s teams have been working diligently to address critical areas needing upgrades, especially with hurricane season underway. 

She also reiterated BPL’s commitment to ensuring power reliability for all customers should any unexpected issues occur.

“Our teams at BPL have been working to address these challenges quickly and to prevent a repeat of Thursday evening’s outage,” the minister added. “We do not expect this to be a consistent issue. We are working to ensure that system improvements are made, increasing reliability while reducing costs.”

The Davis administration has introduced several initiatives to reform BPL, including the transfer of New Providence’s electricity grid to Bahamas Grid Company, now 60 percent privately owned. Island Grid, managed by Eric Pike, will oversee operations, with Pike Electrical providing the necessary workforce, equipment, and resources.

Pike’s teams and trucks have already begun arriving in The Bahamas.

On Friday, Mrs Coleby-Davis said the government’s plans are progressing “pretty well,” but acknowledged that more work remains. 

“We still have many technical discussions happening. Planning and designing are ongoing, and as things ramp up, there will be a need for more public consultation on the technical plans that will be implemented,” she said.

She added that the Office of the Attorney General is working closely with her ministry to ensure agreements are in place as they transition into the next year, aiming to bring significant improvements to the energy sector.