The government of The Bahamas is forging ahead in its quest to provide the Bahamian people with affordable and efficient energy services with the approval a new energy sector strategy for The Bahamas. Last evening, Prime Minister Perry Christie released a statement outlining the way forward pertains to reforming the energy sector of the country.

I have spoken many times before on the subject of grid tie in and the use of renewable energy sources since taking office as Minister of the Environment and Housing. However the Prime Minister's statement makes abundantly clear this government's plans to bring relief to the Bahamian people.

The Progressive Liberal Party promised to make energy more affordable for our citizens in our 'Charter for Governance' and we are taking the steps necessary to ensure that it happens.

The Bahamian people should take special note that in the statement released on energy sector reform the government plans to create the following:

· an energy sector that provides affordable energy supplies to all customers with the capacity to meet the long term growth in the demand for energy.

· an energy sector that is 30% powered by renewable energy by 2030 including 10% of the sector's power to come from residential energy self generation.

This will mean that consumers will be able to generate their own energy to power their homes through solar, wind and other types of renewable energy sources to be fed into the grid. Not only will this aid in reducing the cost of energy to consumers and reducing the demand for publicly generated energy. It will also allow for a possible energy credit programme to be introduced. This announcement is also good news for persons who would like to enter the energy sector as entrepreneurs as one of our objectives is to provide investment opportunities for Bahamians and spinoff opportunities within the nation's economy

The government of The Bahamas is resolute in following this new course that has been charted to lower the cost of living and doing business in The Bahamas thereby bringing relief to our people.