The Ministry of Transport and Energy held a launch event at the Margaritaville Resort on Thursday for a new initiative to deploy renewable energy in The Bahamas.
Prime Minister, the Hon. Philip Davis was in attendance and addressed those gathered. Davis said, “it is fundamentally clear that the choices we make now will define the future of our energy, or economy and our way of life.”
The event was held to invite Requests For Proposals (RFP) to provide energy in the family islands via microgrids, clean fuel and renewables. In her remarks, Minister of Transport and Energy, the Hon. Jobeth Coleby-Davis said, “we invite independent power producers projects to propose a comprehensive microgrid solution comprising approximately 25 megawatts of renewable energy and an additional 90 megawatts of prime power generation. The islands include Abaco, Andros, Bimini, Eleuthera, Exuma, Long Island, Rum Cay, San Salvador, The Berry Islands and Moore’s Island, Guana Cay, Hope Town and Man-O-War Cay.”
The Minister also explained the role of Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) in the process. “Hence we are ensuring that the RFP has the BPL’s team up to speed on the day to day operations of these systems. We are paving the way to have our energy future in the most capable hands, the Bahamian ones.”
Bidding for the RFP is open to international companies however, Prime Minister Davis says his administration remains focused on empowering Bahamians. “We want to ensure that these developments bring jobs, technology and skills training to our shores. Those who know me, know where I stand on matter such as these, ensuring opportunities for Bahamians is paramount.”
The deadline for RFP submissions is January 26th, 2024
