NEW Providence was plunged into darkness last night after an island-wide power cut.
The power went off at around 9.20pm, and appears to have affected all residents.
Calls were made by The Tribune to BEC Chairman Leslie Miller - but he did not answer or return calls.
The power returned in stages through the night from 2.30am onwards - although some places were still without power at 8am, and the power was reported to be out again in eastern areas through the day.
At the time of writing, no statement had yet been issued by either the government or BEC on the blackout.
UPDATE 6:15PM: New Providence residents can expect another blackout tonight if Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC) technicians aren't able to resolve the issues being faced at the Baillou Hills and Clifton plants, according to executive chairman Leslie Miller.
After nearly a day of silence, BEC, in a press statement said that its teams are continuing their efforts to address the problem which initiated the island wide outage experienced last night and the subsequent generation challenges which occurred as a result of this.
The outage which occurred at approximately 9:28pm resulted in BEC’s entire system tripping offline. This included its generator units at both the Clifton Pier and Blue Hills Power Stations. Once these units go offline, it can take some time to make them fully operational again.
BEC extended its sincerest apologies to its customers that may have suffered as a result of the outage.
The Tribune will have a full story on the outage in tomorrow's Big T.
Comments
Minnie 9 years, 9 months ago
B.E.C like BTC, "Lousy and Pround"
ThisIsOurs 9 years, 9 months ago
Wow. Island wide blackout for ~seven hours. Everything is falling apart from neglect, especially at the ministry of works.
Thinker 9 years, 9 months ago
Why does that guy still work for us? Didn't we want him to be fired? Don't we want Freedom to choose and use alternative energy sources? Didn't we say No to VAT? Why aren't these jokers listening? Do you care? See how Voting people into Power doesn't work out fairly for All? The Power of the Vote is in the hands of the one who persuades onto you, his own agenda.
ThisIsOurs 9 years, 9 months ago
And don't hand over BEC to some other INCOMPETENT, UNTRIED, FLY BY NIGHT company like you did with RENEW BAHAMAS and the landfill deal. Something really weird must be going on at Davis &Co.
sheeprunner12 9 years, 9 months ago
BEC is dysfunctional......... overpaid workers, vindictive unions, outdated inefficient, equipment, powerless leadership, overreaching political interference ......... PRIVATISE!!!
Well_mudda_take_sic 9 years, 9 months ago
Miller obviously has something on both Christie and Davis for them to be dooming themselves along with the entire PLP party to political suicide by not having fired Miller a long time ago. It can only be one of three things Miller has over Christie and Davis's heads: (1) The possibility Miller has done a few "electricity favours" for members of Christie and Davis's extended families (and possibly the extended families of other MPs) of which both Christie and Davis have long been well aware of; (2) the possibility Miller has evidence of Christie and Davis being aware for a long time now of massive corruption practices at BEC and having done absolutely nothing about it; and (3) Christie, Davis and Wilson aka Snake need someone like Miller that they can manipulate when it comes to any major corrupt deals that will be cut behind closed doors in the privatization of BEC. THE REAL PROBLEM IS CHRISTIE'S TRANSGRESSIONS INVOLVING BEC AND BOB THAT MILLER MUST HAVE INTIMATE KNOWLEDGE OF!
sheeprunner12 9 years, 9 months ago
AGREED
tylamb 9 years, 9 months ago
Has a call been made to the General Manager? Yes Miller is the Chairman, but Basden is accountable for the running of the company. We need to stop allowing others to grasp power and just allow some to abdicate when times are tough. Basden needs to answer
sheeprunner12 9 years, 9 months ago
Does BEC have a general manager?????? I have been asking that for weeks..........SMH
DillyTree 9 years, 9 months ago
This is a disgrace. We need privatisation NOW and fire the clowns. Time to send the circus travelling. And it ain't over yet, as power has been out in the west all morning again after being on from 5am -- 9am. What is going on?
Guess asking for a credit on my bill for the inconvenience is out of the question....
sheeprunner12 9 years, 9 months ago
All these persons mentioned will not resign.................... they are either protecting their salary, retirement pension or their legacy. This is what its all about for them............... the only problem is that the U30 generation will catch eternal hell. For their sakes, I hope Jesus come before they look around for retirement ....................... the cookie jar will be empty
EasternGate 9 years, 9 months ago
I agree. Miller gat them by the balls
sansoucireader 9 years, 9 months ago
Last night was a perfect opportunity for ALL of these radio stations to update the public on what was going on. Was searching up & down with my battery-operated radio trying to find SOME news, but nothing but hip hop rubbish on. SMT!
proudloudandfnm 9 years, 9 months ago
It's a bit of a coincidence that all the scandals around Miller and his bills and his attacks on the union and now Nassau is having power issues.... Seems some one is holding Nassau hostage....
John 9 years, 9 months ago
They always do tree trimming before (or during) the hurricane season
jackbnimble 9 years, 9 months ago
Boy, people are pissed! Someone post some comments Miller's daughter made on Facebook and they are eating her alive. If I were Miller and his family I wouldn't make any more statements regarding BEC considering they gat payment problems. He need to let the corporation Issue one statement apologizing and then go back in hiding. #strongsuggestion
500CE 9 years, 9 months ago
How is it possible that they have a monopoly on the energy sector but they are bankrupt. Look don't sit there and spout "Oh poor me the US is picking on me" take that story down the road mate. You want to represent the country as a functioning capital of a so called "up and coming nation" then step up your operations so that they reflect what you selling.
Stop looking for scapegoats because a foreign government doing what it is mandated to do (ie. protect the interests of its people) call your incompetence masquerading as professionalism. You have made the bahamas a signatory to all these international agreements and treaties on international trade, WTO, etc. etc. and to be a member - it requires your system to be transparent - Foreign Corrupt Practices Act; ever heard of it. You should have YOU SIGNED THE BLOODY TREATY, or did you lot not read that before you signed it. SHOCK!!!!!!!!!!
But you all are puzzled. Wow!!!!!
itchtakedat 9 years, 9 months ago
Man yall stop crying this the government yall put in power. Christie did crap the last time he was in power, yall couldn't wait to get him out yall put FNM in power they did a bunch of crap. So ride out the storm now the writing is on the wall I hope the majority will now come to their senses.
sansoucireader 9 years, 9 months ago
Never voted for this government and never will!
B_I_D___ 9 years, 9 months ago
This country is at a SERIOUS cross roads...I have openly stated before that I am pro FNM...no big secret. I think the PLP in power now show exactly WHY!! With that being said, as a previous FNM supporter, I do not think they are anywhere near where they need to be as a party to regain control...I also do not think that the DNA in it's current form is quite ready for prime time...so what is one to do...you can elect to NOT vote...and those that favour usual party lines will do what they always do. Point of interest that keeps getting washed over...the MAJORITY did not vote the PLP into power...the MAJORITY voted for the two opposing parties. But split that MAJORITY opposition vote into two and you get a minority split. But the PLP don't brag about it that way...I think they see the writing on the wall and are scrambling to get what they can while they can before politicians as we know them are ousted for good.
B_I_D___ 9 years, 9 months ago
I think you are not completely understanding my post there...if you read it carefully...I do not think any of the 3 parties are suitable to govern at this point in time...so what do we do...
DillyTree 9 years, 9 months ago
Here we go again....blackout night #2.
Wishing we lived in Japan -- then Miller would do the honourable thing and fall on his sword. Easy way to deal with it, as clearly Christie doesn't have the balls to fire this clown. But then again, if we lived in Japan, none of this crap would be happening. Welcome to the new banana republic with a fourth world mentality. .
ThisIsOurs 9 years, 9 months ago
Fall on his sword? Honourable thing? Lol
John 9 years, 9 months ago
We were warned since last year that BEC's plant and equipment was in shambles and needed repair or replacement. Power has being going off in some areas of New Providence four, five, even six times a day since early March. Then comes the hottest and most humid day of the year(hurricane was travelling and burning up energy and putting extra heat in the atmosphere) and the island is plunged into pitch, black darkness. Some people are sweating through their galls and the remy and lace front weave have to come off. And everyone acts surprised that a poorly maintained and under financed BEC could not carry the load of all those extra air conditioners that were cranked up Thursday night and could not get your place half ways cool before BEC blew its top and all of its fuses! REALITY hits like that. At least the embattled chairman faced the music and say "we jus don't know what happen." So now they gonna call in foreign experts (did I say foreign?) to tell them that if you keep adding load to an already overloaded and under maintained power system eventually it is going to blow (up). This is just the first part of July. The hottest part of the year is still ahead of us. Why you sweating now?
John 9 years, 9 months ago
You think things bad let them continue following bad advice and sell of government assets to foreign interests. BTC, BEC, SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL, WATER AND SEWERAGE. FOREIGNERS ALREADY OWN THE BANKS,THE HOTELS,THE CASINOS. SOON DA RECKLY WE GERN HAVE TA PAY ALL OUR BILLS IN US DOLLARS OR CHINESE MONEY, BELIEVE DAT!
concerned799 9 years, 9 months ago
Quicker this is privatized to a reputable power operator the better.... Private power works reliably in other islands, so no need to reinvent the wheel on how to do it, just privatize it all, 100% ownership so serious power companies will be interested. No one is going to take only 49% that is a serious player with a track record!
ThisIsOurs 9 years, 9 months ago
You assume they'll sell it to a reputable buyer...they know this is a money making gambit, they may pawn it off to some hastily incorporated entity, a la Renew Bahamas.
sheeprunner12 9 years, 9 months ago
This was the government that almost sold BTC to Bluewaters with Leon Williams as CEO ................ so why not sell BEC with Kevin Basden and Leslie in charge to Bluewaters........................ LOL. Yall know who Bluewaters was???????????????????????
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