By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

A TEAM of engineers from the Bahamas Electricity Corporation is in Florida today to purchase or lease six new generators for the New Providence and Family Islands, the corporation’s Executive Chairman Leslie Miller said yesterday.

Speaking with the press, Mr Miller said in direct response to the continuous blackouts and power outages in New Providence and throughout the Family Islands this summer, BEC is “looking at some generators” to purchase and add to the fleet.

“We are sending a team to Florida tomorrow (Tuesday), to take a look at those engines and we are going to make a quick decision with purchasing or leasing those engines,” he said.

“We are looking at six of them. A team is being dispatched and we are going to look at them and see if they can fit into the arsenal we have for those engines in New Providence, Abaco, Eleuthera and Long Island. We will see if it is a good deal, then look at it with the ability to have those engines here shortly.”

Mr Miller declined to comment on how much the engines would cost but said they would be “worth every penny.”

He also said the all the engines at Clifton Pier and Blue Hills are back running at full capacity “so we have no problems and I see no blackouts in the foreseeable future.”

“We are in good shape as far as generating from Blue Hills and Clifton, excellent shape. If you notice, from last Thursday it has gotten cooler and we are having better weather right now so we are in excellent shape. Let’s just pray we stay that way.”

BEC has been plagued with power outages for several months. Mr Miller said this is the “worst he has ever seen it.”

Earlier this month he said that without a new power plant, which will cost about $200m, the country will continue to be plagued by outages that will worsen when Baha Mar, the mega resort at Cable Beach, is added to the grid next year.