Already incensed Eleuthera residents suffered through a power outage lasting more than 14 hours in some areas in the last two days, with power failing at 8:43 p.m. on Monday and not restored to all customers until after 4 p.m. on Tuesday.
The failure highlights the enormous challenges plaguing power generation, transmission and distribution (T&D) and pricing going back decades. Bahamas Power and Light Company (BPL), the company managing those elements of Bahamas Electricity Corporation's (BEC) operations for less than three months, has increasingly come under heavy fire from a public sick and tired of the power outages despite promises of relief from the political directorate and from BPL's management.
In a statement issued following the resumption of service, BPL acknowledged it was working to stabilize its networks in Eleuthera following several system failures on Monday and into Tuesday.
"The outages would have impacted customers in North and Central Eleuthera, Harbour Island and some parts of South Eleuthera and were the result of challenges at the Rock Sound Power Station Monday afternoon, as well as at the island's main power station at Hatchet Bay later that night.
"Some customers would have experienced outages lasting less than twenty minutes, while others would have endured much longer periods without supply.
"BPL crews on the island have assessed that the main issues relate to separate generation stability problems at both power stations over the past 24 hours. Supply was fully restored to all areas before 5 p.m. on Tuesday.
"BPL is looking at the challenges in the past 24 hours and is looking at immediate and long-term solutions to improve overall reliability on Eleuthera," BPL said.

Challenge
Earlier in the day, one Eleuthera resident told Guardian Business, "It's nothing else but frustrating."
Speaking from Lower Bogue in North Eleuthera, the resident described his frustrations.
"It goes off just about every other day but not for very long periods, just off and on... Saturday past my Internet box got blown along with one of my TVs.
"Many people here have their own water tanks that goes with electricity, so if there is no electricity, there is no water. People decide to get tanks because in some areas the water is either salty, rusty or both.
"Imagine all those small business places that can not afford to have generators, like convenience stores with melting ice cream, barber shops, beauty salons, etc. Even at the airport it's a challenge even though we have an industrial generator that automatically kicks in after 30 seconds. During that time computer screens blank out and delay the process if it dips quite frequently," he said.

Up in arms
Guardian Business understands BPL management was in North Eleuthera to meet with business owners in Harbour Island, many of whom are said to be "up in arms about the frequent outages".
Insiders say quite frankly, the utility has "trouble everywhere."
The blistering vitriol being directed at BPL is not fair, according to Deputy Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis, who has Cabinet responsibility for the utility. According to Davis, the management company is unable to move forward with its program pending internal government negotiations.
Still, it is understood that Southern Company, the Atlanta-based power conglomerate that recently paid $431 million for PowerSecure International - the private energy company hired to manage BPL - is less than pleased with the status quo.
Guardian Business has reported that BPL CEO Pamela Hill had intended to raise electricity rates to raise capital needed to invest in equipment, infrastructure and personnel, but this was vetoed by the Cabinet, and the utility was ordered to raise its capital through other means, like bank financing. However, given BEC's tens of millions in annual losses, plus the $450 million-plus legacy debt, bank financing for the utility is an uncertain prospect.
It is clear that BPL must have felt it would have the money and autonomy to enact its business plan, but the political realities appear to have taken a toll on what the company intended to do.

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