By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

The company formed to overhaul New Providence’s energy grid is aiming to ramp up to a 150-strong workforce within the next two years as it bids to construct its headquarters complex by 2027.

Bahamas Grid Company, in e-mailed replies to Tribune Business questions, said it plans to ultimately near-quadruple its existing workforce having filled 40 posts during its first six months in operation with Bahamian staff accounting for just under two-thirds or 63 percent of those employed.

“Bahamas Grid Company has created and filled over 40 jobs with a planned workforce of 150 within the next 18-24 months,” the majority private-owned special purpose vehicle (SPV), which has been financed by a $130m mix of debt and equity funding, revealed.

The company, which has an initial 25-year deal to manage and upgrade New Providence’s electricity grid, added that it plans to establish a permanent head office in south-west New Providence over the next two years.

“The current Bahamas Grid Company office is located on the west side of New Providence, and it is a temporary space. Bahamas Grid Company is in the process of building a new headquarters on Frank Watson Boulevard, slated for completion in 2027,” the transmission and distribution (T&D) manager disclosed.

Then, clarifying its relationship with Pike Electrical, Bahamas Grid Company said the North Carolina-based electrical services provider is “a sub-contractor” supporting it on the first phase $130m New Providence grid upgrade. It has also been tasked with training Bahamas Grid Company staff, including what it described as a “first for The Bahamas” - having local line workers work on live lines.

“Pike is a sub-contractor that supports Bahamas Grid Company on the foundational grid upgrade project, and assists with maintenance and restoration efforts while also training local staff to eventually take over the job,” Bahamas Grid Company confirmed.

“Our goal is to train up a team of local line workers who can do work on energised power lines, which will be a first for The Bahamas. Being able to work on energised power lines means that New Providence will have far fewer planned outages in the future, and maintenance times will be drastically reduced.

“This is one of the skill sets that Pike has brought to the island, and is currently teaching young local workers to take over.” Bahamas Grid Company, in its replies to Tribune Business, said it is also “in the process of building three new high voltage switching stations. They will be completed mid-2026. Work began in late May 2025”.

Bahamas Grid Company’s original 25-year term can be extended for a further ten years if both sides agree, making it a potentially 35-year deal that could go through to 2060. Bahamas Grid Company is 60 percent owned by private investors, with BPL holding a minority 40 percent interest.

Bahamas Grid Company’s management firm is Island Grid. Eric Pike, Island Grid’s principal, also heads North Carolina-headquartered Pike Electrical, which is supplying the manpower, materials and resources to effect the New Providence energy grid’s transformation until Bahamas Grid Company gets up to speed. The latter began work in April 2025 after completing all agreements with the Government.

“The PPP is for 25-plus years with Bahamas Grid Company initially performing the foundational upgrade project to loop the transmission system, build a new switching station and upgrade the four major substations on the island,” it said in last week’s progress report.

“In addition, Bahamas Grid Company will be performing the operations and maintenance of the New Providence transmission and distribution system for the next 25-plus years. In August 2024, Bahamas Grid Company began deploying contract distribution crews to reconductor high-outage feeder lines, assist existing BPL crews with outage and storm response, and begin installing protection devices.

“In April 2025, the final agreements were signed and Bahamas Grid Company officially formed and took over the operation and maintenance of the New Providence transmission and distribution system.” However, these agreements have yet to be disclosed to the Bahamian people despite pledges by Prime Minister Philip Davis KC and his administration to do so.

Bahamas Grid Company, though, said it has acquired and cleared the 25 acres of land off Frank Watson Boulevard that “will soon become permanent office space, and also house training facilities and warehouses”, although it did not identify the location. It is temporarily operating from 7,300 square feet of office space.

“Seventy million dollars in materials have been purchased and expedited to support this grid project,” Bahamas Grid Company said. “Three new substations are being built now, which will add valuable protection to aging generation assets and transmission lines, as well as allow for the rerouting of power to prevent large-scale outages...

“One hundred and forty-four steel poles were installed to replace aging wood structures that were at extreme risk of storm failure. Our new, larger steel structures are category five rated. A $1m investment was made to launch our IT solutions set, including work management system, procurement system, GIS and outage management system.