By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

Bahamas Grid Company’s new chairman yesterday voiced “200 percent” confidence it will fulfill its energy reform obligations despite its managing partner’s sudden exit as he revealed the recent shooting death of a US contractor had delayed completion of $130m in network upgrades by two months.

Anthony Ferguson, who is also CFAL’s principal, told Tribune Business that the separation with Island Grid and Eric Pike had been “an amicable dissolution” although he referred this newspaper to Bahamas Grid Company’s now-former management firm and its principal when asked to explain the reasons for the relationship ending less than two years into what was supposed to be a 25-year tie-up.

He pledged that the new all-Bahamian management team, led by just-appointed chief executive Dareo McKenzie, “will continue the playbook” created by Island Grid for the continued transformation of New Providence’s transmission and distribution (T&D) network with 85 percent of the $130m “foundational” upgrades now completed.

Mr Ferguson disclosed that, despite Island Grid’s departure taking effect from Monday this week, North Carolina-based Pike Electrical, which was providing the manpower, equipment, supplies and technology for these initial improvements, remains contracted to Bahamas Grid Company and is now scheduled to complete this work in June 2026 - two months later than originally targeted.

Numerous Pike employees, thought to number around 40, left New Providence in the immediate aftermath of the shooting death of their colleague, Cody Castillo, which resulted in Superintendent Berneil Pinder of the Royal Bahamas Police Force being charged with his murder. Their departures sparked multiple questions as to whether work on the New Providence energy grid improvements would be impacted, and if the completion timeline would be delayed.

Mr Ferguson, while confirming that work had been set back by around two months, acknowledged that the incident had left many Pike workers “fearful”. He added, though, that some have already returned to New Providence, with more due to have arrived yesterday and today.

The Bahamas Grid Company chairman added that he “doesn’t foresee any challenges” with the electricity network owner/operator’s abilty to access essential expertise, supplies and energy equipment when needed, asserting that it will still be able to “engage” Pike as well as tap into Mr McKenzie’s relationships with previous employers, such as General Electric (GE) and Consolidated Edison moving forward.

And, disclosing that Bahamas Grid Company will be investing an average $20m per year in capital expenditure into New Providence’s energy grid after the “foundational” upgrades are completed, Mr Ferguson said it has recruited about 50 percent of its target 150-strong workforce to-date. Once the initial $130m worth of improvements is completed, he added that it will be “more aggressive” in seeking out Bahamian talent.