NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) said yesterday that it is looking at interim measures to improve the supply of electricity to Guana Cay as frustrated residents and second homeowners have issued an urgent appeal to Prime Minister Philip Davis to address the situation which they say is threatening the community's economic and social well-being.
Residents claim that since Hurricane Dorian struck Great Guana Cay over four years ago, the island has grappled with various challenges, notably the persistent issue of unreliable power. The hurricane caused extensive damage to the infrastructure, particularly the power grid, which was restored around two years ago. However, the power supply remains inconsistent due to ongoing repairs and patchwork on the original underwater marine line, resulting in approximately 182 days of outages in the past two years.
Despite the availability of a new, unused power line running to Baker's Bay on the island's north end, the community continues to rely on the aging and frequently damaged marine line. Residents, second homeowners, and businesses question the decision to install a new line to Baker's Bay, which appears unnecessary and unused, while the essential needs of Guana Cay are neglected.
Adding to the frustration, a generator has been placed on the island by BPL, but the lack of on-site technicians means delays in addressing issues and prolonged periods without power. The island's current generator is the second received, yet it proves inadequate to meet power demands, leaving some residents without power even when the generator is operational.
Residents say that the inability to provide consistent power has had a profound and dramatic effect on the homeowners, local businesses, and second homeowners, with many second homeowners who attempted to invest, rebuild, and come back to the island having "thrown their hands up in frustration" and have decided to move to other locations to invest their time and money.
In a statement on the issue, BPL said that it is aware of the complaints from Guana Cay residents regarding their electricity supply.
"Extensive work has been done rebuilding our network following Hurricane Dorian and the Pandemic. We have restored power to all communities in Abaco, including Guana Cay. Presently, Guana Cay is receiving supplies from an underwater cable from mainland Abaco. The island also has a standalone backup rental unit that is being maintained at a significant cost to the Company. Further, the underwater cable is the primary feeder for the island and most of the challenges with the underwater cable occur when there is some contact with motor vessels in the area," BPL Arnette Ingraham, the company's communication manager in a statement.
"BPL also has a long-term strategy to address this. The Abaco Ring is an underwater cable system that loops all of the Cays, creating a back feed that serves as redundancy in the event a primary feeder is lost. At present, we do not have a timeline for this project as it is anticipated to cost several million dollars.
She continued: "We do understand the frustration of our Guana Cay customers and are looking at interim measures to improve the electricity supply to the island. This includes the possible upgrade of the current rental unit to meet the island's power needs if there is a fault on the underwater cable.
"Overall, our priorities are to adequately maintain our current generation and transmission and distribution systems as well as ensure sufficient capacity to meet Abaco's growing demand from major projects like Montage Cay," Ingraham said.
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