The Tribune

URCA has fined Bahamas Power and Light $29,662 after finding that the utility failed to report major outages in Abaco, the Abaco Cays and Crooked Island within the required 24-hour period.

The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority issued two final determinations and orders on June 16, finding that BPL breached Condition 24.5 of its Public Electricity Supplier Licence by submitting major outage reports days and, in some cases, weeks late.

URCA suspended enforcement and collection of the fines for 12 months, but stressed that the penalties have not been waived, reduced or cancelled.

The regulator said it can move to collect the fines if BPL again breaches its major outage reporting obligations, fails to comply with the orders or fails to implement required corrective measures during the suspension period.

BPL acknowledged the determinations, but said they concern only the timing of regulatory reports after major outage events in 2025, not its operational response, restoration efforts or the reliability of the electricity system.

Under its licence, BPL must notify URCA within 24 hours of any major outage and provide key details, including the cause of the outage, the areas affected, the number of customers impacted, restoration efforts undertaken and the time taken to restore service.

URCA said timely reporting is critical to its ability to monitor service reliability, oversee restoration efforts where necessary and carry out its consumer protection responsibilities.

The first determination concerned a series of major outages affecting Abaco and the Abaco Cays between November 30 and December 15, 2025.

URCA found that BPL failed to submit the required reports within the prescribed period, submitting them instead between December 18 and December 21, 2025.

The regulator said the delays ranged from two to 21 days. It imposed a $20,000 fine.

The second determination concerned a major outage on Crooked Island on October 21, 2025.

URCA said it became aware of that outage through public sources after BPL failed to submit the required report. After URCA made inquiries, BPL submitted its major outage report on October 30, nine days after the outage.

URCA found that BPL breached its reporting obligation and imposed a $9,662 fine.

Although URCA suspended enforcement and collection of both fines, it said the suspension gives BPL an opportunity to demonstrate sustained compliance with its licence obligations.

The determinations come as BPL faces continued public scrutiny over outages, particularly in the Family Islands, where residents have repeatedly complained about prolonged disruptions and service instability.

In its response, BPL said the determinations relate only to regulatory reporting deadlines connected to the Crooked Island and Abaco outages during October, November and December 2025.

The company said the determinations do not address BPL’s operational response, restoration work or system reliability.

BPL said it has reviewed and strengthened its internal reporting procedures since the outages occurred. It said it has increased management oversight and implemented measures to improve the consistency, accuracy and timeliness of regulatory submissions.

The company also said it asked URCA to convene a joint reporting workshop involving all electricity providers operating under the Government of The Bahamas and regulated by URCA.

According to BPL, URCA agreed to host the workshop and has already developed an agenda framework.

BPL said the workshop will be used to standardise practices, improve efficiency and ensure that all regulated utilities share a common understanding of the reporting process by reviewing URCA’s reporting requirements, templates and submission expectations.

The company said major outages, especially in the Family Islands, require engineering and operational staff to focus first on restoring service, ensuring public safety and assessing system conditions.

BPL said it believes the workshop will help streamline reporting while ensuring regulatory submissions remain complete, accurate and timely.