The Tribune

By Fay Simmons

Tribune Business Reporter

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

A group of potential investors yesterday toured Eleuthera power plants as the Government’s Family Island renewable energy sought to build momentum.

Sylvanus Petty, North Eleuthera’s MP, said the purpose of the tour was to enable potential bidders to assess the existing generation capacity on Eleuthera plants so that they will have a “clear understanding” of what will be required from them to meet the island’s energy demand.

He said: “The PLP administration is focused on providing renewable and sustainable energy throughout the length and breadth of The Bahamas.

“Today, myself and other potential private investors who have experience in providing this service, took a tour of the private plant in Spanish Wells and the existing plant on Harbour Island, along with the local island administrator, local government council representatives from the mainland, Spanish Wells and Harbour Island

“These site visits provided a clear understanding as to what North Eleuthera has, and what will be needed, to provide a reliable source of power to the people of North Eleuthera in the very near future.”

Mr Petty said investors will submit proposals to the Ministry of Transport and Energy based on the site assessments and enter the “enhancement phase” next year.

He added: “A proposal will be drafted with all the factors to make this transition possible, then provided to the minister in charge of energy, and it is with hopes that the enhancement phase can commence throughout next year.”

The Davis administration earlier this month unveiled the launch of a formal bidding process, or Request for Proposal (RFP), for more affordable, cleaner and sustainable energy solutions on multiple Family Islands via the provision of microgrids, cleaner fuels and renewables.

JoBeth Coleby-Davis, minister of energy and transport, said several Family Islands are being targeted including Abaco, Andros, Bimini, Eleuthera, Exuma, Long Island, Rum Cay, San Salvador and the Berry Islands.

Eleuthera was the first island scheduled to be assessed for the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)-funded initiative, which Mrs Coleby-Davis predicted will attract bids from leading renewable independent power producers (IPPs) who were asked to propose comprehensive “microgrid solutions”.

The microgrid solutions will feature a combined 25 Mega Watts (MW) of renewable energy and an “additional” 90 MW of “prime power generation” across multiple Family Islands. The deadline for submissions under the RFP is January 26, 2024.