The Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC) claims to have fixed its network and has promised yet again that they should be able to provide stable power supply to the frustrated residents of New Providence.
Of course, many residents are not holding their breath and are taking a “wait and see” approach since BEC has made these promises before – declaring that there will be no more blackouts. And yet there were several more blackouts.
In a statement BEC also said in addition to repairs on the two failed units, a third unit has been repaired and is expected to return to service in the next 24 to 48 hours.
“Unless there is another unexpected fault to one of our units, we do not expect that customers will be negatively impacted,” said BEC General Manager Kevin Basden.
When generators failed earlier this week, BEC staggered blackouts across New Providence as they could not supply enough power to meet summer demand with increased air conditioning usage. The cash-strapped government monopoly claimed they could not prepare for the increases in summer power use because they diod not have the money to overhaul the generators – which should have been maintained more competently so that overhauls would not be necessary.
Repairs are ongoing at BEC’s Clifton Pier Power Station and despite the pledge that there is now enough supply to meet demand, BEC said it still has challenges with its machinery.
“Additionally, the corporation continues to encourage customers to conserve electricity. The benefits are twofold. Not only does it reduce BEC’s overall consumer demand, but customers would also see a decrease in their monthly consumption charges,” said BEC.
