A prominent local businessman yesterday decried what he sees as the government's inability to provide a reliable power source for the country, stating that energy security should be the highest priority for the government, not just in terms of debating energy policy, but also in regards to delivering short-term relief for the country.
Former Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC) Director Dionisio D'Aguilar yesterday told Guardian Business that he remains frustrated over the lack of concrete initiatives to address the country's power needs, especially with Baha Mar coming on stream in the coming months, which is expected to add a considerable burden to New Providence's antiquated power supply.
"What the government needs to do is guarantee the people of The Bahamas a reliable power supply and we don't have a reliable supply. In addition to that you've got Baha Mar coming on. That's the most pressing issue right now and it's only going to get worse this summer. I don't see how they're not going to have widespread loadshedding," he said.
Baha Mar officials have previously stated that the government was well aware of the $3.5 billion mega resort's power needs since the project's inception.
BEC Executive Chairman Leslie Miller stated last year that a proposed $200 million power plant capable of burning liquefied natural gas (LNG) and bunker C fuel is necessary to alleviate the country's power generation woes while also accommodating Baha Mar's needs. He called for immediate action given that the plant would require about 18 months to construct. Although the government has expressed renewed interest in using LNG in The Bahamas, D'Aguilar said it is too little, too late.
"It's too late, it's years away and we're just talking about it. I'd be very surprised if we are doing anything else but burning oil in the next two to three years," D'Aguilar said.
Prime Minister Perry Christie stressed during last week's 2015 Bahamas Business Outlook (BBO) that developing both food and energy security are integral to the government's National Development Plan (NDP). However, D'Aguilar criticized the government's investment in the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI), stating that providing food security is not an urgent matter for the country.
"I don't think it's a priority right now. The question we need to ask ourselves is how important is food security. We're a very small nation with 350,000 people and what are we worried about? You don't want to spend an absolute fortune trying to achieve that if it's not really necessary. Do we think that our partners that provide us with food will stop?
"The focus should be on providing the country with a reliable power supply. Going off on a distraction like food security and pumping tens of millions of dollars into BAMSI is misguided," he said.
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