FNM has plenty idle banter, but still no BEC or energy plan

Tue, May 5th 2015, 11:09 AM

In the wake of the government's announcement of PowerSecure as the BEC strategic partner and the ringing endorsement of this selection by the United States, it was amusing to see any number of FNM's scrambling around to get into the newspaper with any number of opinions, but one fact remains crystal clear to this very day: the FNM has plenty of idle banter, but still no BEC or energy plan for this country.

While this announcement spelled good news for the country, this was clearly bad news for the FNM. They were not happy for the Bahamian people and expressed their displeasure.

The FNM chief himself, Dr. Hubert Minnis, publicly conceded that after almost three years as opposition leader and repeated calls for an early general election, the FNM had absolutely no energy plan for BEC. With the chief making this public confession and concession, the opinions of the FNM Indians amount to sour grapes and stale hot air.

The extent of the FNM energy policy for five years was to have officers of the RBDF distribute LED light bulbs.

I also note and Bahamians must not forget that the Emera deal with the Grand Bahama Power Company that was approved by the FNM government did not deliver better service and reduced energy costs for the people of Grand Bahama so that is a other hot mess the PLP government inherited from the hapless FNM that has to be fixed. To date, that deal is another failed FNM policy!

For the record, I wish to restate the record of the PLP government on energy reform because I will not have the FNM remain ignorant and deflect on such an important national issue:

Under the leadership of Environment Minister Hon. Kenred Dorsett, The Bahamas joined the Carbon War Room's Ten Island Challenge via a MOU agreement, essentially committing to a 20 megawatt (MW) solar project and energy efficiency solutions for Anatol Rodgers High School as a pilot project and eleven family islands including Eleuthera, Exuma, Cat Island and Andros where BAMSI will eventually be taken off the electrical grid. Additionally, plans are underway for a countrywide streetlight retrofit to solar power as part of the policy initiative.

Further, the government released its National Energy Policy in September 2014, ahead of the global warming summit at the United Nations. The Parliament passed the amended Electricity Act to provide for private alternative power generation and reverse net metering facility in January 2015 and selected PowerSecure on 30th April as the strategic partner for BEC via a Request for Proposal (RFP).The policy objective of this Public/private sector partnership is to reduce the cost of electricity to Bahamian consumers by 30% in twenty-four months.

Let the record show that the PLP government has done more in less than three years to reform the energy sector and BEC than the FNM has done in their three terms in office. The government has articulated and is executing a clearer vision for The Bahamas on this issue.

As for the FNM, The generators they bought back in the late 1990's against the advice of their BEC board is mired in scandal and continue to cause problems and unnecessary expenses for both BEC and the Bahamian people to this very day.

There is only one message: The PLP government has chartered a clear and visionary course of action to reform the energy sector through a policy that will facilitate the production of consistent and reliable power while reducing the cost of electricity to all Bahamians. As for the FNM, they did not have a plan for BEC and the energy sector while in government and now in opposition, they still do not have a plan, just idle banter, posturing and bluster.

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