By Gerrino J. Saunders
Bahama Journal News Editor

For decades residents and second home owners on Harbour Island and mainland
Eleuthera have had to deal with unreliable electricity services with frequent and
sometimes lengthy power outages, well the Davis administration is seemingly
taking the bull by the horns and will attempt to address this growing concern.
Jobeth Coleby-Davis the Minister responsible for Energy and Transport revealed
this week during the 2025/2026 budget debate that the government has a plan it
believes will solve Eleuthera’s electricity problems.
In August of 2024 over 300 residents of Harbour Island took to the streets in
protest against poor and unreliable electricity services by Bahamas Power and
Light citing multiple power outages per day impacting daily life and business
operations.
“When I wake up in the morning, the electricity is off. When I go to bed at night,
the electricity is off. We are in desperate need of electricity and water,” Thea
Saunders said to the media.
Days ahead of the protest Minister Coleby-Davis and the Member of Parliament
for North Eleuthera Sylvanus Petty toured the island’s electrical facility and met
with officials and residents.
Petty later told the residents in a statement that they have not been forgotten and
assured them that the Davis administration is committed to addressing the issues,
and it seems as though the government aims to do just that in this current fiscal
cycle.
Coleby-Davis explained due to Eleuthera experiencing an economic boom Harbour
Island in particular Bahamas Power and Light found itself combating a significant
challenge, one of increasing electricity demand coupled with an aging transmission
and distribution network.
“To address this challenge, BPL has implemented a revitalization plan to arrest the
longstanding issues,” said Coleby-Davis this week during the budget debate. “This
includes an ambitious blend of technical upgrades, field maintenance, and community outreach, underscoring its commitment to transparency, service
restoration, and stakeholder engagement.
“Key activities focused on stabilizing generation in Rock Sound, Hatchet Bay, and
Harbour Island; reducing vegetation-related faults; replacing damaged poles and
transformers; and upgrading switchgear infrastructure.
“On the transmission and distribution side, works completed included the
replacement of more than 77 aged or damaged utility poles across multiple
settlements, clearing more than 300 spans of vegetation from BPL’s right of way,
Installation and repair of over 108 streetlights in Wemyss’ Bight, Tarpum Bay,
Savannah Sound, and Green Castle, maintenance and rebalancing of over 50
distribution transformers, completion of capital contribution tie-ins in Rainbow
Bay, Harbour Island, and Governor’s Harbour.”
Coleby-Davis also revealed that there was substation maintenance in Hatchet Bay
and Governor’s Harbour, and installation of an air brake switch and intelliruptor to
support the energization of the new 34.5Kv line to the North.
On the generation side,” she said, “the following works have been completed or are
in progress: upgrade and commissioning of Generators 1,2, and 3 at Rock Sound
Power Station, Initiation of repairs on Hatchet Bay Generator #1, and 1nstallation
of switchgear at Hatchet Bay and Harbour Island to improve safety and
interconnection.”
According to the Energy Minister recent field assessments and technical operations
have focused on optimizing the distribution network and improving voltage
regulation throughout Harbour Island.
She said there will also be a Voltage Regulator Commissioning with a Protection
and Metering team scheduled to test, and commission relocated voltage regulators
at Three Islands Dock. There will also be, Submarine Cable Load Transfer that is
subject to successful regulator commissioning and completion of overhead repairs,
the load currently supported locally will be transitioned to the submarine cables
connecting Harbour Island to Hatchet Bay Power Station (HBPS).
There is also a scheduled comprehensive load-balancing exercise planned to
optimize the distribution network across the three outgoing feeders, ensuring even
load distribution and minimizing voltage fluctuations.
“All this work that BPL is doing on the island of Eleuthera is not expected to be
completed without some disruption to the residents and businesses. We continue to

offer our sincere apologies for the inconvenience and thank all Eleutherans for
their patience.
“I also wish to acknowledge and thank the hardworking employees of BPL for all
that they are doing to address the electricity challenges on Eleuthera,” said Coleby-
Davis.
She said for those considering a career in energy, the government energy road map
offers extensive skills training that will make Bahamian energy workers the best
skilled workforce by far in all the Caribbean.