By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

ENERGY and Transport Minister JoBeth Coleby-Davis said officials are examining new financing models to make residential solar systems more affordable for Bahamians, as rising summer electricity bills drive demand for renewable energy.

Speaking on Guardian Radio’s Morning Blend yesterday, Mrs Coleby-Davis acknowledged that many families want solar but cannot manage the upfront costs. She said one option she explored as housing minister was to link installation costs to long-term financing structures.

Mrs Coleby-Davis said that while serving as housing minister, she considered whether solar installation costs could be rolled into mortgages or structured in a way that spread payments over time, rather than requiring families to take on expensive short-term loans. She likened it to how utility companies finance their long-term infrastructure, with payments spread across decades and protected by insurance.

She added that those ideas remain on the table and that, with BPL now under her portfolio, she has been able to draw on the utility’s experience with grid projects and renewable integration.

Mrs Coleby-Davis said the government must determine whether banks are willing to develop such financing models before any policy changes are made.

BPL chairperson Christina Alston confirmed the Pike and Bahamas Grid Company arrangement is complete, noting that their trucks and crews are already working on the ground in New Providence.

Chief executive officer Toni Seymour said BPL continues to coordinate with the companies, but no employees have transferred. She explained that secondments are voluntary, and so far, no staff have opted to make the move.

On the Family Islands, BPL reported progress in boosting generation capacity in Eleuthera, with 6 MW added at Hatchet Bay and 4 MW being installed at Rock Sound. Units there have passed mechanical testing and are being tied into the grid.

Officials said the upgrades, along with a new substation at the Tarpum Bay water plant, aim to improve power reliability in South Eleuthera.