‘We say hell no’: GB residents protest electricity rate hike amid economic woes

Scores of residents in Grand Bahama with the Free National Movement marched in protest and assembled in the vicinity of the Grand Bahama Port Authority and the Grand Bahama Power Company, petitioning an intervention as the power company seeks to raise the electricity bill by 6.3%.

What’s driving the news

The increase is expected to take effect January 1.

When the increase proposal was announced, the Leader of the FNM Michael Pintard said he had sought to meet with the power company but they were “not prepared to meet at this time.” He then sought a meeting with its Canadian parent company, Emera, but it’s not known if the meeting occurred.

The Ministry of Grand Bahama has said the increase proposal is “unacceptable,” however, the GBPC said the rate increase would help it to sustain operations, invest in critical infrastructural maintenance, and it will help the company to integrate renewable energy with the government’s target of 30 percent renewable energy by 2030.

Just before this announcement, the government had been in a public spat with GBPA over an alleged $347 million owed, which the authority denies. The government then took the company to court which will ultimately determine whether the GBPA owes the money as the government claims.

The big picture

Grand Bahama has a sluggish and struggling economy, worsened by Hurricane Dorian in 2019. Many residents on the island are also dealing with the financial burden of restoring their homes, five years after the storm hit the island.

Some residents argue that the services provided by the power company are unreliable and unsatisfactory with frequent outages that have caused their home appliances to malfunction.

What they say

“Enough is enough,” the protesters with placards in hand, marched and shouted as Pintard delivered a signed petition to the GBPA.

They then marched to the GBPC, attempting to deliver another signed petition to the company.

“Power cost is too high…The increase is way too high. How can you have heart to ask for an increase at a time when some people are getting back on track after Dorian? People are struggling…It is wrong and unjust.”

“We say hell no,” Pintard said as the crowd joined in.

One resident stood on the steps of the GBPC to express his frustration.

The man said he drove from High Rock to protest the company’s decision. “My two TV’s gone with no compensation…If you want to go up on prices, this doesn’t make any sense… Two TV’s [are] gone. You’ll can’t be serious. Look at our economy in Grand Bahama, and you’ll decide that now you’ll want to go up on prices after you’ll already cut off the power four times a day? Man, you’ll can’t be serious,” he lamented.

What’s next?

Pintard said they will continue to protest if their requests are not addressed.