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Last Updated: Feb 13, 2017 - 1:45:37 AM |
(Statement) The CCC has been sounding the alarm concerning the Grand Bahama Power Company/ Emera intentions of requesting for an increase in the base rate of Electricity in Grand Bahama. Last week in the Bahamas Weekly on November 26, 2015 and In the Freeport News on Saturday November 28, 2015 , the Grand Bahama Port Authority finally published the GBPC \ Emera rate application for the increase the base rate of electricity. We say finally because this application was submitted to Regulator (GBPA) since August 2015, but only published in the media since last week Thursday and appearing on the GBPA website just this weekend pass.
The present Electricity base rate being charged by GBPC / Emera is the highest in the entire Bahamas. Recently the Government of the Bahamas passed two bills in Parliament, The Electricity Bill 2015 and Electricity Rate Reduction Bill. These bills we understand were passed with the goal of reducing the cost of Electricity throughout all the Islands in the Bahamas. Also, we understand that after 2016 electricity base rates should be decreasing every year afterward for the next 3 years. In the case of our Island, Grand Bahama is paying the highest base rates in the Country and the Chairman for the Regulatory Committee wants to go ahead approve for electricity base rates to increase further. The Coalition carefully examined Grand Bahama Power Company’s rate application and compared it with the rates charged by the Bahamas Electricity Corporation throughout the Bahamas. The chart provided below clearly reveals that GBPC \ Emera is charging the highest electricity base rates in the Country.
Grand Bahama’s economy is in crisis and our Island is littered with closed Businesses, closed Hotels, closed Golf Courses, closed Shopping Centers, closed Apartment Complexes and Abandon homes. Businesses on our Island are already adversely affected by high electricity base rates. Any decision to increase electricity base rates at this time is clearly Insensitive and Insane.
In moving forward the CCC has activated its legal team which will move ahead to form an Association for Utility Customers. This Association will help to unify the power company customers to engage the Regulator and the Grand Bahama Power Company.
The Coalition of Concerned Citizens will be having a Town Meeting this Thursday December 3, 2015 at 7 pm at Mary Star of the Sea Auditorium to discuss these rates and our plans moving follow. Also, next week we will host a town meeting in Eight Mile Rock, the date to be announced. We put the Regulator and The Grand Bahama Power Company on notice, if these proposed base rates are approved, you will hear very strongly from the Businesses and Citizens of Grand Bahama.
© Copyright 2015 by thebahamasweekly.com
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