Two percent of New Providence remained without electricity yesterday as technicians continued to work to get those customers back online in the wake of Hurricane Irene, according to the Bahamas Electricity Corporation. However, even as efforts to restore electricity continue, the corporation was hit with generation challenges yesterday which affected everyone east of Gladstone Road, a company official said.

"The Bahamas Electricity Corporation has restored supply to almost 98 percent of customers in New Providence," said a statement released yesterday. BEC teams were working yesterday in areas including Dicks Point, East Avenue, Butlers and Tinshop Corners, Cumberland Road (Blue Hill Road), Bilney Lane, Columbus Avenue North, and Curtis Close (Fox Hill).

"BEC teams continue to work around the clock to restore supply to affected communities.  The corporation advises the public that it does have a strategic approach to its restoration program in New Providence.  As the restoration to all major substations is complete, BEC teams are now working to re-energize affected communities.  As this process is nearly complete, the next step will be to target individual customers who have isolated electricity supply issues," the statement said. BEC has been on the ground since Hurricane Irene passed east of New Providence on Thursday.

In the statement both commercial and residential customers are advised that BEC's command center remains operational all day.  BEC is asking customers to call 302-1001 if they experience supply problems. BEC suffered setbacks yesterday as three of its generators failed, leaving thousands without electricity.

BEC spokesperson Arnette Ingraham said technicians were working to get those generators back up throughout the day yesterday.  It was unclear last night whether those problems were rectified. But even as work in New Providence continues, the electricity corporation is facing even bigger challenges in some of the Family Islands, particularly in Cat Island where scores of utility poles were damaged or destroyed.  There is no electricity on that island at all and it remains unclear when service will be restored.

While officials didn't want to give a time frame for the restoration of electricity on that island, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Director Captain Stephen Russell said it would take a very long time.  The restoration is also expected to be very costly.

Russell said BEC is facing several unique challenges.  He pointed out that the corporation would have to take additional manpower, trucks and utility poles into the island before the work can be completed. He added that it would cost as much as $30,000 to rent the barge required to transport the materials BEC needs to carry out the necessary repairs.

"It's a tedious process and shipping is a challenge in of itself.  It's a costly thing and it's time consuming getting equipment, transportation, etc.," Russell added.
BEC has called on the Caribbean Electric Utility Service Corporation (CARILEC) for assistance.

"BEC will be mobilizing a team through its CARILEC partners to assist with the restoration effort on Cat Island.  A timeline for restoration is to be determined," the BEC statement reported.

CARILEC is an association of electricity utilities, suppliers, manufacturers and other stakeholders operating in the electricity industry in the Caribbean. Eleuthera and Abaco also had major problems with utility poles, Russell said.  However, BEC is making steady progress with its restoration efforts on those islands, according to the statement.  On Eleuthera, with the exception of Harbour Island, electricity has been restored to more than 77 percent of the island.  On Harbour Island, BEC crews are working to restore the supply, which is off on the majority of the island, the statement noted.

In Abaco the areas that remain off include Tilloo Cay and Green Turtle Cay.  The island is more than 80 percent restored, a BEC official said. In the remainder of the Family Islands, electricity has been restored fully in all but three islands.  Up to yesterday, the power supply on Exuma, Mayaguana, and Long Island had been restored by more than 93 percent.

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