The government recently repealed and replaced the Electricity Act. The new act removes the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) as an approving body.
Prime Minister, the Hon. Philip Davis was asked about the move while visiting the island of Grand Bahama recently. He said, “we intend to ensure that the delivery of electricity is not inequitable across the country.”
There is an ongoing court battle between the GBPA, the Grand Bahama Power Company and the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) about which entity is the legal electricity regulator for Grand Bahama. Mr. Davis said the government’s intention is to protect consumers especially as it relates to the cost of electricity. “One way of ensuring that is to ensure that we have one competent authority that regulating the whole electrical industry,” he said.
URCA Corporate & Consumer Relations Manager, Juan McCartney also commented saying URCA still has a good relationship with the Grand Bahama Power Company. “For instance if there are concerns that are raised about power in Grand Bahama where that should be referred to etc. we would communicate with the Grand Bahama Power Company and they’ve been very responsive. So it’s not an acrimonious relationship there’s just a matter of establishing the proper interpretation of the law who is the actual regulator. But according to the Electricity Act and according to URCA we are still the regulator.”
Prime Minister Davis said, “we’re trying to ensure that what’s good for the people in Nassau, Cat Island, Rum Cay or San Salvador will be just as good for the people here in Grand Bahama.”
