The Tribune

BY FAY SIMMONS

TRIBUNE Business Reporter

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net\

AN OPPOSITION MP yesterday said Bahamas Grid Company's move to bring in international cable repair specialists to solve legacy underground faults “raises more questions than it answers” about the state of New Providence’s energy network.

Michaela Barnett-Ellis, the Killarney MP, questioned why the legacy faults identified by Bahamas Grid were not dealt with earlier as part of its wider grid modernisation programme, particularly after more than $130m was earmarked for foundational upgrades.

“I think, honestly, the statement raises more questions than it answers because the statement referred to legacy faults. And the question is: Why were these not dealt with at the beginning of the contract or simultaneously as we have been going through all of this?” said Mrs Barnett-Ellis.

Bahamas Grid said on Sunday that it was leveraging its professional network and global partnerships to bring in a team of cable repair specialists to accelerate system normalisation and strengthen grid performance.

The company said the immediate work involves repairing a series of legacy underground cable faults across the network, with excavation and repairs expected to cause temporary traffic disruptions in some areas.

The latest work follows Dareo McKenzie, Bahamas Grid’s chief executive, disclosing last month that the company has completed its foundational grid upgrades and invested more than the $130m initially associated with the programme, although he declined to provide an exact figure because it is pursuing additional financing.

Mr McKenzie said the completed foundational work was only part of the broader effort required to modernise the electricity network, with further opportunities for improvement already identified.

The need for additional technical expertise also comes as Bahamas Grid works to build its local capacity. Asked last month whether the company would seek another strategic partner following the exit of Pike who served as a sub-contractor providing construction services for grid work, Mr McKenzie said the plan had always been to transition to a Bahamian-led and operated Bahamas Grid, while the company would continue to use contracted forces to supplement its local workforce.

“We need to ramp up our local talent and skill and capability, but like I said again, we're going to augment that with contracted forces,” said Mr McKenzie. He acknowledged that local technical resources were limited, and said Bahamas Grid would likely need to look overseas for additional workers to expedite repairs.

“We do want to expedite the repair and the works that we need done, because local talent is somewhat limited. It's somewhat limited. It's a niche market,” Mr McKenzie said.

Asked whether Bahamas Grid would continue looking outside The Bahamas for that expertise, Mr McKenzie responded: “Oh yes. In order to get that skill. The answer is yes.” That reliance on outside expertise is one of the issues Mrs Barnett-Ellis said she wants Bahamas Grid to address alongside the immediate repairs.

“And if they are bringing in this international expertise, what level of training is going on so that we can develop our own base of knowledge here in The Bahamas?” she asked.

Mrs Barnett-Ellis said she remained hopeful the latest intervention will help resolve the reliability problems affecting consumers, but described herself as “cautiously optimistic”.

“I like that Bahamas Grid is bringing in expertise. I wish it had been done much earlier, but it's better late than never,” she said. However, Mrs Barnett-Ellis said the public was still receiving information about the condition of the network “in bits and pieces”, which she described as frustrating.

Her concerns come as outages that have affected western New Providence increasingly appear to be spreading across the wider island.

“When I look at the reports from the weekend, it's becoming more and more island-wide,” said Mrs Barnett-Ellis. “It is becoming more, which is not very comforting. But at least now we know it's not just us.”

Bahamas Grid said the latest cable repair programme forms part of its continuing effort to build a more reliable and resilient electricity grid, and thanked the public for its patience and understanding as the work continues.