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Bahamas' power grid needs hundreds of millions for repairs amid blackouts
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Energy & Infrastructure

Bahamas' power grid needs hundreds of millions for repairs amid blackouts

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • The Bahamas' electricity grid requires hundreds of millions of dollars in investment to address outdated systems and prevent ongoing blackouts.
  • Prime Minister Philip Davis described the infrastructure challenge as the most difficult the nation has faced in 50 years of independence.
  • The aging system, with some equipment predating the country's independence in 1973, struggles to meet demand exacerbated by rising temperatures and more frequent hurricanes.

The Bahamas' electricity infrastructure is in critical need of hundreds of millions of dollars in upgrades to prevent widespread blackouts, according to Prime Minister Philip Davis. He described the challenge as the most difficult the nation has faced in its 50 years of independence, highlighting the obsolescence of the current systems operated by Bahamas Power and Light (BLP).

It is the most difficult infrastructure challenge that our country has faced in 50 years of independence.

— Philip DavisDescribing the severity of the issues plaguing the Bahamas' electricity system.

Davis stated that essential repairs and modernization efforts require an estimated $500 million. He noted that some of the existing equipment and wiring were installed before the country gained independence in 1973, with much of it being over a generation old. BLP operates 29 power plants across 17 islands, utilizing equipment from various manufacturers. Some of these engines are so old that replacement parts are no longer produced, and over 60% of the generation equipment on New Providence, the most populous island, needs replacement.

New Providence has been particularly affected by power outages this month due to BLP's insufficient capacity to meet high demand. The situation is compounded by BLP's existing debt of over $500 million and unfunded pension obligations totaling another $100 million. "The system we inherited was not designed for the country we have become," Davis asserted, pointing to increased temperatures, more violent hurricanes, and the archipelago's rapid economic growth as factors straining the infrastructure.

The engineers told us that we needed $500 million in crucial improvements to avoid a total collapse of our electrical infrastructure.

— Philip DavisDetailing the estimated cost required to modernize the power grid.

Global heatwaves, driven by El Niño, have pushed demand on the system to twice the previous peak recorded in the Bahamas this season. Beyond localized outages, a widespread blackout occurred on July 30, caused by a failure in an underground cable and an explosion at the Blue Hill power station. The government has outlined a comprehensive national plan to modernize electricity generation, storage, and distribution.

The system we inherited was not designed for the country we have become.

— Philip DavisExplaining how the current infrastructure is inadequate for the Bahamas' modern needs.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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