By ANNELIA NIXON

Tribune Business Reporter

anixon@tribunemedia.net

Eleuthera’s Chamber of Commerce president yesterday warned that the island’s frequent daily electricity outages are “devastating businesses” and could deter both foreign and Bahamian investment.

Thomas Sands told Tribune Business that the often-multiple daily power interruptions caused by Bahamas Power & Light’s (BPL) aged and decaying infrastructure means that, “all around, this is really not a good picture”.

He reiterated that the woes, which have persisted for months, have dealt a “devastating” blow to Eleuthera’s private sector with those companies lacking back-up generators hit especially hard. And, for those businesses who do have generators, the unreliable BPL supply means they are forced to take on the extra expenses of fuel and associated maintenance costs.

“In terms of the number of outages, it’s very challenging to operate a business consistently,” Mr Sands said. “For those who do not have back-up generation, essentially they’re out of business. In terms of the hospitality side of things, if it’s a vacation rental or long-term rental property, tenants are extremely upset, and so it doesn’t deliver good customer service and you have customers that are irate.

“In terms of those of us who do have back-up generation, the cost of, first of all, the first investment in the equipment is significant, and then the operation of this equipment, given the outages...In terms of my business, for example, I’m a supermarket business. And the cost of fuel for a diesel generator is anywhere from $100 to $300 a day, not including the support services.

“On top of it, there are the extreme electricity bills at the slowest period of time in the year. It’s devastating businesses. In terms of damage, we have low voltage issues, and so we’ve had some equipment that is being damaged as a result of it. So all around it’s just not a positive thing,” Mr Sands said.

“In terms of investors moving into or considering moving in, they just really feel that we don’t as a community, as an island, and potentially as a country, we don’t have it together. And so there’s a negative impact. There’s a negative connotation to foreign direct investment or domestic investment in the Family Islands. So all around this is really not a good picture.”

Since Tuesday, Harbour Island and various areas in Eleuthera have faced outages. A BPL statement posted on Tuesday afternoon blamed severe weather conditions for impacting the 34.5kV transmission line, while a fault in the Green Castle area affected the Rock Sound south feeder, causing interruptions for customers from James Cistern to Bannerman Town.

An update later that evening said power had been restored to impacted customers but that work was continuing in the Bogue area. Later on Tuesday night, another BPL update notified customers that a team was working to restore power to Harbour Island after a high voltage line broke on its feeder near the water plant.

Another BPL outage update yesterday apologised to Eleuthera customers for a shortfall in electricity that was again blamed on bad weather. It said: “Earlier this morning, an issue at the Rock Sound substation caused by a faulty lightning arrester led to a small fire on a pole. That matter has since been resolved.”

Sporadic outages were experienced by BPL customers in Winding Bay, Tarpum Bay, South Palmetto Point, White Road in the Rock Sound area and Blackwood.

A business community meeting on improving Eleuthera’s electricity grid, which was due to take place set on August 13, was cancelled. Mr Sands said he has no update on when the meeting will take place but the Chamber is committed to getting accurate information regarding BPL and its plans for Eleuthera to the private sector and the public.

“Our understanding is it was the local team attempting to update the business community,” Mr sands said. “That was our understanding. And so, you know, again, from a Chamber perspective, we want to help get as much information out as possible.

“So the Chamber was prepared to support anything that it could to spread the appropriate information as to where we’re at, what is being put in place and what would the future hold. We have not received an update as to when that meeting will take place.”