The chairman of the Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC) says the government will be meeting with the Chinese ambassador to discuss a partnership for the proliferation of solar panels throughout the country
Leslie Miller revealed that talks are also expected to take place with the Chinese developers behind Baha Mar in an effort to reconcile demanding energy needs going forward. The chairman told Guardian Business "we need to get Bahamians involved in solar energy".
"We are looking at a situation where BEC would be able to get credits or receive those panels from China at a very affordable price," Miller explained. "This would enable BEC to sell those panels to the Bahamian people.
"We are hoping this initiative can get underway before the end of the year."
The intentions of the BEC chairman echo some of the bold statements made from the previous administration. Nevertheless, discussions with the Asian superpower could spark a renewed emphasis on green energy and ultimately change how Bahamians think about power.
Miller noted that Bahamians consume more energy, per capita, than any other nation in the region. He said the annual fuel bill of $350 million is a "known fact" and unsustainable for the long term.
Alternative energy continues to be a hot topic among those in the energy sector, with the prevailing belief that The Bahamas' low population, surplus of sunlight and comparatively low energy needs makes it an ideal candidate for the technology.
While duty incentives on solar panels have helped spur interest and resulted in a number of local companies offering the technology, the government has grappled with ways to make the technology more mainstream.
The need for fresh thinking when it comes to energy has never been more important than now.
As many Bahamians struggle to keep the lights on, Miller told Guardian Business that Baha Mar, the $2.6 billion mega project on Cable Beach, has indicated it will likely not be going with alternative energy for its air conditioning needs.
The agreement with U.S.-based Ocean Thermal Energy Corporation (OTEC) has taken a hit in recent weeks. OTEC had planned to construct a $102.3 million seawater district cooling (SDC) system at Baha Mar that would have reduced its air conditioning bill by up to 90 percent.
However, Guardian Business understands that process has been derailed, partly due to plant's impact on the local environment near Goodman's Bay.
"They indicated they will not be going with that," Miller explained. "They were looking at them providing them with air conditioning and refrigeration. That appears to be on hold."
The chairman revealed that Baha Mar is now looking for BEC to generate an additional 25 mega-watts of power by October 2013, approximately a year before the resort comes fully on stream. "We need to order the new engines almost right away if BEC is going to be ready to serve Baha Mar," he said.
This anticipated demand makes the need for alternative energy, such as solar panels, all the more pressing.
Miller added that the current administration is also pushing forward with natural gas as an alternative to convention fossil fuels. Noting that all BEC engines are enabled for multi-purpose use, the chairman speculated that the country could reduce its fuel costs by up to 30 percent if it made a switch to LNG.
He pointed to the Dominican Republic as a neighbor in the region that is already having LNG shipped to its electricity plant.
Another initiative for the government-run corporation is bringing the Clifton Pier plant up to code.
"We need to get Clifton in a position where it generates 85 percent for New Providence," he explained. "When that takes place, you will see a 25 percent decrease of electricity for all Bahamians. The goal is to put our energy into bringing Clifton back to where it should be, which is the number one generating plant in New Providence."
At president, Miller said Blue Hills is producing the equivalent power or more than Clifton. Blue Hills was always intended to be a back-up power plant, he insisted, but at the moment it is functioning as the primary, causing more inefficiencies.
Clifton also requires significant upgrades to the engines now operating, as many of the machines are up to 30 years old.

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