The Tribune

By FAY SIMMONS

TRIBUNE Business Reporter

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

A GUANA Cay resort owner yesterday estimated his business has endured more than 300 hours without electricity since September, describing repeated outages as a “real nightmare” that has driven up operating costs and left expansion plans on hold.

John McKibbon, owner of Kalopsia Seaside Villas and Marina, said the business spent more than $5,000 on generator fuel last month alone while continuing to pay high Bahamas Power & Light (BPL) bills, adding to the cost of operating its 15 villas and restaurant.

The resort has plans to build another six villas, but Mr McKibbon said he cannot move forward until the island has dependable electricity or he invests in an alternative energy system.

“I've got 15 villas and six more planned, but I can't start those until I either put in solar or I have dependable electricity,” he said. “There's no reason to go forward, and it is definitely going to affect our business, our employment, and the income to The Bahamas because of the situation.”

Mr McKibbon said the ongoing outages were particularly frustrating for a relatively new business, with the restaurant having opened about a year ago and the villas operating for longer.

“It's been a nightmare. We've got a brand new business and we can't operate it with the electricity like this,” he added. He estimated that the resort had gone without electricity for well over 300 hours since September 1, including a recent outage that lasted around 19 hours.

“It's just a real nightmare. It's very, very disappointing,” Mr McKibbon said, adding that the existing underwater power lines serving Guana Cay have been experiencing constant problems.

Mr McKibbon said the island needs a new power line and a dedicated generator, arguing that repeated failures in the existing infrastructure were making it difficult for businesses to plan and operate reliably.

He also said the resort was being forced to consider additional investment in solar power because it cannot depend on the electricity service for which it was already paying.

The cost of keeping the generators running extends beyond fuel, Mr McKibbon said, noting that their oil must be changed every 100 hours of operation and that the equipment is subject to additional wear and tear.

The generators cost between $45,000 and $50,000 each, he said, adding to the financial burden of maintaining a reliable electricity supply.

Mr McKibbon said the resort was considering closing completely for at least two months next year, including shutting its restaurant and removing food from its freezers, rather than continuing to absorb the expense of running generators during the slower season.

He said the business had remained open through September despite the additional costs, but the repeated outages were making the situation increasingly difficult to manage.

Victoria Forbes, a manager at Kalopsia Seaside Villas and Marina, said the outages had also forced the business to cancel some reservations. She added that electricity had been unavailable for hours, and sometimes days, at a time, with a recent outage lasting more than 19 hours.

Although the resort has a back-up generator, Ms Forbes said it had run out of diesel at one point last week, illustrating the difficulties of maintaining power when supplies must be transported to the island.

She said guests who could be accommodated with bac-kup power had generally been able to enjoy their stays, but cancelling reservations was disappointing, particularly for visitors travelling to Guana Cay for only two or three days.

“Some of them only there for two days, three days, just to get the experience on the cay, and they travel from far. They're not locals,” she said.

Ms Forbes said businesses have repeatedly received assurances that BPL was working to resolve the problems, but the outages continued.

Mr McKibbon said he understood that BPL employees on the ground were working hard, and are frequently called out at night and on weekends. However, he argued that the utility needed to make a significant capital investment in new generators and cabling.

He said he was looking forward to BPL's planned Abaco solar installation and battery storage, which he expected would help improve the electricity supply, but stressed that the existing underwater connection would still need to be addressed.

“We still have to have a line because the line that runs over here is very old and constantly has problems,” he said.

Mr McKibbon also said qualified people on Guana Cay should be permitted to operate the island's generator when necessary, provided it was properly set up, rather than requiring BPL personnel to travel from the mainland to restart it.

He said residents and businesses had recently met with a parliamentary representative and BPL officials to discuss the problems and the utility's plans, but are still waiting to see whether the proposed measures would be implemented.

“We don't know,” he said. “It's extremely difficult to run a business in this environment.”