We all know that the PLP Government has done nothing except pass the buck and send the cost of basic electricity sky high for average Bahamians. Now, the Facebook statement issued today, 1st February 2026, by Bahamas Grid Company raises more serious and troubling questions about the management of our national electricity system.
According to BGC, it was denied access to the New Providence Control Center from January 27, despite having a contractual right to jointly manage that facility. If true, this decision would have left only BPL personnel overseeing the control center at a critical time and may have limited the ability to assess, mitigate, or shorten the outage that affected thousands of residents.
As Shadow Minister for Energy, I am asking the following questions on behalf of the Bahamian people:
- Who made the decision to deny BGC access to the New Providence Control Center, and on what authority?
- What reason was given for denying access to a contractual partner responsible for grid management and stability?
- Was the Minister of Energy informed of this decision, and if so, when?
- When was the Prime Minister made aware of this?
- Does the Government accept that this decision may have worsened the impact or duration of the outage?
- What safeguards are currently in place to ensure that contractual partners can perform their roles during emergencies?
Reliable energy should be a basic right of average Bahamians. But, this week once again the basic rights of all are being taken away by the PLP’s failed and corrupt ineptitude. The current government failure to provide basic power isn’t much of a surprise after last week’s healthcare meltdown, but it doesn’t make it any less serious.
The Bahamian people deserve clear answers. We still do not know the details of the arrangement between BGC and BPL yet BPL already appears to be breaching its obligations.
Michela Barnet-Ellis, FNM Candidate, Killarney