The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Philip Davis called Opposition Leader Michael Pintard “stupid” in the House of Assembly yesterday during a tense debate over the government’s energy reforms and its plan to guarantee credit facilities tied to the country’s liquefied natural gas transition.

The remark came after Mr Pintard accused the government of misleading the public about its use of rental generators, arguing that spending on rental power had increased under the Davis administration.

Mr Davis, who was leading debate on resolutions seeking approval for the government to guarantee a revolving line of credit and performance letters of credit from Banco Santander on behalf of Bahamas LNG Partner Ltd, rejected that claim and said his remarks about rental generation had been misunderstood.

“I never said it was the last administration to be faulted,” Mr Davis told parliamentarians.

Mr Pintard disagreed, prompting Mr Davis to respond: “You’re being stupid, man.”

The opposition leader asked for the remark — which is generally seen as unparliamentary — to be withdrawn, but it was not.

Earlier in his contribution, Mr Davis said Bahamian households are already feeling the effects of energy reform and can expect lower electricity bills.

“What we are doing is being felt by Bahamian people, and so what they say don't matter to us,” Mr Davis said, referring to the opposition. He added that bills are already lower than before and “it is going to be going lower.”

He argued that decades of short-term fixes had left Bahamas Power and Light reliant on rental generators that were meant to be temporary.

“Tens of millions to rent generators,” he said. “That’s like if your car breaks down and you rent a car so you can still have transportation. That’s ok if you are maybe renting for a few days or a few weeks, but imagine driving that rental car for years and years.”

“Eventually, the cost of renting that vehicle will be so high that you could have bought multiple vehicles for the same amount. That is the predicament our energy sector is in today.”

Energy Minister JoBeth Coleby-Davis disputed Mr Pintard’s claims, citing a BPL report showing three rental contracts had been reduced. Mr Pintard questioned the report’s timeframe and accused officials of misrepresentation.

Mr Davis said rental generation is being phased out entirely, with full elimination targeted by the 2028 fiscal year.

“In two years, Deputy Speaker, we will say goodbye to the rentals and replace them with permanent solutions, saving tens of millions of dollars each year,” he said.

He also outlined plans to add about 190 megawatts of generation capacity from LNG by late 2027, alongside nearly 200 megawatts from microgrid and solar projects across the Family Islands.

Mr Davis said long-term reforms would also put BPL on track to eliminate its debt within six years and close the longstanding financial imbalance between the government and the utility.

“When this transformation is complete, Bahamians will live in a country where outages will be the exception rather than the rule, electricity costs will be more predictable and more affordable, businesses will be able to plan and invest with confidence, and families will be able to budget without fear of sudden shocks,” Mr Davis said.