Bannister: Recent outages not due to power issues

Minister of Works Desmond Bannister.

As of Wednesday, June 10, 2020

By EARYEL BOWLEG

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

WORKS Minister Desmond Bannister stressed that recent Bahamas Power and Light electricity outages are not due to power generation issues.

On Monday, there were reports of a power outage in western New Providence before 9pm. The Tribune understands that it was caused by a trip on one of the circuits resulting in portions of two separate substations coming offline.

Mr Bannister admitted yesterday that BPL does have distribution and transmission challenges, which the company is working on.

“….The outages that BPL (have) had have not been related to generation. Last year June this time, we were having major outages everywhere. We’ve not seen those outages. I don’t anticipate we’re going to have generation outages. If we have outages they may be the same kinds of challenges that we’ve had recently,” he told reporters outside of Cabinet.

Although he was not able to give a reason for the electricity going off this week, he offered explanations for other incidents.

“There was a challenge a little over a week ago where BPL was energizing a new substation on the Gladstone Road area and employees of BPL made a mistake and I’m so glad that they’re alive today because they made mistake that could’ve cost them their live and so that challenge cause some outages in the West and in Sky Line (Drive),” he said.

“And then shortly after that a contractor who was actually working out in that area who was doing some work, some road works impacted a cable – a BPL cable. That contractor didn’t work for BPL. That contractor was doing private work and that has caused some outages.”

In reference to repair work in Abaco after Hurricane Dorian, Mr Bannister said workers from the region should be in the country soon to augment Bahamian workers who have been experiencing “fatigue” from working on the devastated island.

“BPL had Bahamian workers down there and many of them had mental fatigue working in that environment. They had to continually come back to New Providence to their families and also to regenerate, but they’re still doing the best that they can,” he said.

“. . .As soon as we open up, we intend to bring in some more workers from around the Caribbean.”

tribanon 3 years, 10 months ago

How much longer does Minnis intend to make us all put up with Bannister's gross incompetence as minister of works? Bannister is to Minnis what many grossly incompetent cabinet ministers were to Christie. And like Christie, Minnis refuses to do anything about it.

JokeyJack 3 years, 10 months ago

It is quite believable that the outages mentioned were not caused by generation issues or even any other technical issue (like the suggested switch). These wires and transformers and switches are so used to being turned off periodically, that (like battery charging memory) they just turn themselves off from time to time - out of habit.

They have been created and groomed to this behavior over years and decades of cycling and brown outs and "ordinary" outages. It is now in their metallic DNA. It's a part of their metallic culture and heritage. After so many electrons pass thru a sub-station, it begins to lose count of them. It forgets how to even spell Avogadro, much less the value of his number, and simply throws a breaker, seeking relief.

It will likely take another generation for the Bahamas to solve these non-generational challenges.

tribanon 3 years, 10 months ago

LMAO

jus2cents 3 years, 10 months ago

WHAT!!!??? “BPL had Bahamian workers down there and many of them had """"mental fatigue"""" working in that environment. They had to continually come back to New Providence to their families and also to regenerate, but they’re still doing the best that they can,” he said. BULLSH!% How the hell do you think the people of ABACO feel, with nearly a year without power! !? FFS get real,

Hurricane season is Here!

jus2cents 3 years, 10 months ago

Also. The powerstation at Clifton needs sound barriers, the new generator causing vibrations and noise pollution to surrounding area, and whist we are on about pollution, BPL also need Smoke filters on the chimney stacks, you should see the smoke spewing out of there.

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