Prime Minister and Minister of Finance the Hon. Philip Davis said the country’s goal of having 30 per cent renewable power generation by the year 2030, embodies the Government’s commitment to a sustainable future.

Prime Minister Davis was speaking at a press conference to launch the Request for Proposal (RFP) for Family Islands New Energy Generation by Microgrids, Cleaner Fuels and Renewables at Margaritaville Beach Resort on Thursday, December 7, 2023.

The Prime Minister said the choice The Bahamas faces is stark. “Continue down a path of expensive, unreliable energy or pivot towards a future where energy is sustainable, affordable and secure.”

He noted that this Government administration’s number one focus is reducing the cost of living for every Bahamian.

“Today, we take a bold step forward in transforming our energy landscape.  We are launching an initiative throughout the country to promote solar energy microgrids across the Family Islands.”

The Prime Minister said these microgrids will not only provide clean and affordable power, but will also foster economic growth, create jobs and build resilience in communities.

“The RFP we are announcing today emphasizes Bahamian participation and local management with a view to spurring self-sufficiency for each involved island.”

The Minister of Energy & Transport the Hon. Jobeth Coleby-Davis said the goal of the RFP is to create more independence in energy generation on the Family Islands, utilizing cleaner fuels, smart grid technology and renewables.
 
“For this, the government is calling all stakeholders to join hands and help us to keep building a more resilient and sustainable nation; we are calling all world class firms who have proven experience to participate in a bidding process to provide our people with better and more affordable electricity.”
 
The Energy & Transport Minister explained that the government is working alongside the Bahamas Power and Light Company Ltd. (BPL) to explore responsible energy generation and usage within the domestic energy sector with this major and unprecedented RFP.
 
“We understand the paramount importance of having the human resources at BPL effectively trained to manage and operate these new systems; hence we are ensuring that this RFP has the BPL’s team up to speed on the day-to-day operations of these systems; we are paving the way to have our energy future in the most capable hands: the Bahamian ones.”
 
She said with the initiation of the RFP, the Government invites Independent Power Producer (IPP) projects to propose a comprehensive micro-grid solution comprising approximately 25 MW of renewable energy and an additional 90 MW of prime power generation.
 
The Minister said the islands include - Abaco, Andros, Bimini, Eleuthera, Exumas, Long Island, Rum Cay, San Salvador, The Berry Islands, and the Moore’s Islands: Guana Cay, Hope Town and Man O’ War Cay.
 
“The projects proposals’ evaluation is key to our goal, as we are committed to ensuring that every Bahamian on our Family Islands could benefit from these projects; the Bahamian people should always have the most reliable and cost- efficient energy solution; the Bahamian people deserve the best the world has to offer.”
 
She said the development of all these microgrids on the Family Islands will ensure consistent and reliable power output for its inhabitants 24 hours a day.
 
The Minister said, “Updating the electricity generation systems in all our Family Islands is not only long overdue, but it will also address the current reliability issues and enhance efficiency, ultimately benefiting the consumers.”
 
She added, “This will not only help Family Island residents and businesses but reduce the overall cost of keeping running those old -and mostly inefficient systems, on the tabs of all Nationwide customers. Yes, solar in our Family of Islands will reverberate savings in New Providence.”