Chairman of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Bradley Roberts has called out members of the Free National Movement (FNM) for criticizing the government’s decision in naming PowerSecure as the Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC) strategic partner.
Mr. Roberts said members of the FNM have plenty of “idle banter” but still have no plan for BEC or any form or energy plan at all.
“While this announcement spelled good news for the country, this was clearly bad news for the FNM,” said Mr. Roberts.
“They were not happy for the Bahamian people and expressed their displeasure. The FNM chief himself, Dr. Hubert Minnis, publicly conceded that after almost three years as opposition leader and repeated calls for an early general election, the FNM had absolutely no energy plan for BEC. With the chief making this public confession and concession, the opinions of the FNM Indians amount to sour grapes and stale hot air. The extent of the FNM energy policy for five years was to have officers of the RBDF distribute LED light bulbs.”
Mr. Roberts noted that the Emera deal with the Grand Bahama Power Company that was approved by the FNM government in 2010 did not deliver better service or reduce energy costs for the people of Grand Bahama.
Therefore, he highlighted the progression of energy plans under the PLP administration.
“Under the leadership of Environment Minister Hon. Kenred Dorsett, The Bahamas joined the Carbon War Room’s Ten Island Challenge via a MOU agreement, essentially committing to a 20 megawatt (MW) solar project and energy efficiency solutions for Anatol Rodgers High School as a pilot project and 11 Family Islands including Eleuthera, Exuma, Cat Island and Andros where BAMSI will eventually be taken off the electrical grid,” he said.
“Further, the government released its National Energy Policy in September 2014, ahead of the global warming summit at the United Nations. The Parliament passed the amended Electricity Act to provide for private alternative power generation and reverse net metering facility in January 2015 and selected PowerSecure on April, 30 as the strategic partner for BEC via a Request for Proposal. The policy objective of this public/private sector partnership is to reduce the cost of electricity to Bahamian consumers by 30 per cent in 24 months.”
Mr. Roberts said the PLP government has done more in less than three years to reform the energy sector and BEC than the FNM has done in their three terms in office.
He said the government has articulated and is executing a clearer vision for The Bahamas than the FNM on this issue.
“As for the FNM, the generators they bought back in the late 1990s against the advice of their BEC board is mired in scandal and continue to cause problems and unnecessary expenses for both BEC and the Bahamian people to this very day,” he said.
“There is only one message: The PLP government has chartered a clear and visionary course of action to reform the energy sector through a policy that will facilitate the production of consistent and reliable power while reducing the cost of electricity to all Bahamians. As for the FNM, they did not have a plan for BEC and the energy sector while in government and now in opposition, they still do not have a plan, just idle banter, posturing and bluster.”
