NASSAU, Bahamas, CMC – The Bahamas government says it hopes by this time next year, Bahamians across 14 islands will experience the benefits of modern, reliable, affordable electricity.
In addition, the Phillip Davis administration is hoping that by 2030, at least 32 percent of the country’s electricity needs will be met by solar power, surpassing the global target of 30 percent.
At the signing of power purchase agreements (PPA) with two Bahamian partners, Prime Minister Davis highlighted the urgent need for energy reform. He described the current power grid and generation system as being on ‘life support,’ a situation his administration, which took office in 2021, is determined to change.
He said the Bahamas Power and Light Company Ltd (BPL)” was “drowning” in over half a billion US dollars of debt, plus another US$100 million in unfunded pension obligations.
“At the same time, our energy infrastructure required US$500 million in critical upgrades to prevent catastrophic failure,” Prime Minister Davos said, noting that in New Providence, 60 percent of power generation equipment needed replacement, while the Family Islands were in even worse shape, with 80 percent of equipment requiring replacement within five years.
Prime Minister Davis empathized With Bahamian families, acknowledging the unnecessary hardships caused by energy failures. He noted that these challenges, coupled with the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian, the COVID-19 pandemic, a deflated economy, and crippling inflation, have further underscored the need for energy reform, a top priority for his government.
Prime Minister Davis outlined the government’s vision for energy reform, emphasizing that it extends to every island in The Bahamas. He stressed that the goal is not just to improve the energy situation in major economic and population centers, but to ensure that every Bahamian island, where families live, work, and raise their children, benefits from the reform.
Prime Minister Davis acknowledged that this is an ambitious undertaking, requiring the government to partner with multiple Bahamian entities to deliver on its promise of widespread change.
He said the power purchase agreements being signed now “represent our unwavering commitment to keeping that promise.
“These partnerships will bring modern, reliable, affordable electricity to islands that have, for too long, endured aging infrastructure, frequent outages, and exorbitant costs. Through these agreements, we will establish solar microgrids combined with advanced LNG (liquified natural gas) and multigas systems across nine different areas in our Family Islands.”
Prime Minister Davis said that this hybrid approach represents the perfect balance for this archipelago chain of islands, adding, “We are harnessing our abundant sunshine while introducing cleaner fuels to ensure that our power needs are met, regardless of what the weather looks like.
“All of our partners are Bahamian-owned enterprises with the resources to expedite development to ensure that our people will benefit from these changes as soon as possible.
Each one of the PPAs we’ve signed this year will be initiated before year’s end and will be completed in 2026.”
He said one of the agreements being signed is with Family Island Microgrid Co., which will develop and operate new energy systems on five islands, namely Harbour Island, Bimini, Moore’s Island, Farmer’s Cay, Black Point and Staniel Cay in the Exumas.
The second partnership is with RenugenPro Co. Ltd. RenugenPro, which aims to bring our energy revolution to San Salvador, Long Island, and Cat Island, featuring solar, battery energy storage, and LNG facilities.
“These islands, each with their unique energy challenges, will soon enjoy reliable, affordable electricity that should be the right of every Bahamian citizen. The impact of these changes will be felt within months, not years.”
Prime Minister Davis stated that as large-scale solar and hybrid facilities emerge throughout the archipelago, Bahamians will immediately benefit from these comprehensive energy reforms.
“These are not pilot projects. Nor are we talking about vague promises of improvements in the distant future. These projects are large-scale, fully funded, and carefully designed systems that are expected to be operational within 18 months.
“As we reap the immediate benefits of integrating large-scale solar and cleaner fuels, we are simultaneously repairing and modernizing our transmission and distribution systems to be even more efficient.”
Davis said that the government is “comprehensively and holistically taking on every aspect of energy reform all at once, with over one billion US dollars in targeted investments, representing the single most significant investment in energy reform in our nation’s history.
“By this time next year, Bahamians across fourteen islands will experience the benefits of modern, reliable, affordable electricity. And by 2030, 32 percent of our electricity needs will be met by solar power – surpassing the global target of 30 percent,” he said, noting that after years of falling behind in the adoption of renewable energy, “we will lead the way using the power of the sun in this new energy era:
“No more sky-high electricity bills at the end of each month. No more sweating in the dark at night because of power failures and load shedding. No more appliances shorting out and food going bad because the power went off for far too long.
That is the energy future we are striving for. That is the future Bahamians deserve,” Prime Minister Davis told the signing ceremony.
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