By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Staff Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

THE Grand Bahama Port Authority has suspended its review of the Grand Bahama Power Company’s proposed rate hike plan and paused public consultations amid ongoing concerns over power reliability issues on the island.

The GBPA said it met with executives of the Grand Bahama Power Company on Monday concerning the electricity service disruptions and the significant impact on residents and businesses.    

GBPA president Ian Rolle emphasised the pressing need to restore reliable power to Grand Bahama residents, adding that the frequent service interruptions are impacting the island’s economy and the lives of its residents.

“These interruptions in service take a tremendous toll on the island’s economy, and our quality of life and service reliability must be reestablished as soon as possible,” Mr Rolle said in a statement.

The GBPA has directed the GBPC to immediately develop and implement a plan to mitigate the ongoing disruptions and restore stable power to the island.

On August 1, the GBPC submitted a proposed rate plan for 2024 to 2027, which includes a base rate hike of 6.32 percent for all customers.

Following the filing, residents, business owners, and political organisations voiced strong opposition to the increase and held public protests and marches.

The power company was criticised for requesting an increase when residents were still struggling to recover from Hurricane Dorian, and still having to pay a Storm Recovery Stabilisation (SRS) charge to cover the cost of damage to power infrastructure.

The ongoing outages and load shedding also forced residents to sleep on their patios and in their cars to find relief from the heat during the hot summer months. There were also complaints of food spoilage and damage to appliances and equipment caused by frequent power surges.     

People argued that the GBPA, as the alleged regulator of utilities in the Port Area, should not regulate the power company’s rates, citing a conflict of interest.  

GBPA vice chairman Sarah St George, chair of the GBPA Regulatory Committee, said any consideration of the rate hike would be put on hold until GBPC shows significant improvements in electricity service reliability.

“GBPA will suspend any review of the rate plan until GBPC demonstrates significant improvement in power reliability,” Ms St George said.

In the meantime, the GBPA’s Regulatory Committee said it would continue to monitor electricity service reliability and work with the GBPC to ensure a stable and dependable power supply for the island.

Free National Movement leader Michael Pintard said he supports suspending the rate hike.

“During a recent meeting with the Grand Bahama Port Authority and the Grand Bahama Power Company, we expressed our shared frustration with the persistent service interruptions, which continue to place an intolerable burden on the economic stability and prospects of the people of Grand Bahama,” he said.