Energy and Environment: Sustainable and Responsible Development

Dr. Marcus Bethel, Minister of Energy and the Environment for The Bahamas, is deeply committed to ensuring that The Bahamas has the energy resources it needs to maintain growth while also protecting the country’s environment.

Sun, sand, sea…and electricity

Dr. Marcus Bethel, Minister of Energy and the Environment

As he puts it, “We are determined that investors have high quality and adequate energy supplies to fully meet the demands of their investments here in The Bahamas. We have been successful in meeting such demands through proper planning and decisive implementation. We are also fully committed to safeguarding The Bahamas’ most precious resource, which is its natural beauty.”

Electricity is now available throughout the archipelago of The Bahamas, and investors in mega-projects on the Family Islands can count on access to the electrical power such projects require. Extending the power grid throughout the islands has raised the standard of living for the country’s residents and increased options for investors, but has also raised consumption of oil to some 25,000 barrels per day.

A challenge for his ministry, according to Dr. Bethel, is to continue to supply the energy the country needs while also promoting energy conservation and diversifying to more sustainable energy sources. “My main goals are to preserve the pristine environment of The Bahamas and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. These goals go hand-in-hand,” he says.

To help achieve these goals, the government is working to better educate the public and the business sector about energy conservation. “We want the public to take this issue more seriously,” Dr. Bethel says.

Dr. Bethel strongly supports continued American investment in The Bahamas and particularly welcomes projects that will bring cutting-edge technologies to the islands. United States investors are encouraged to help the government achieve its goal of ensuring adequate supplies of energy while also keeping The Bahamas beautiful.

The Bahamas Electricity Corporation

“BEC is a stakeholder in the transformation of The Bahamas.”

Kevin Basden, General Manager

The Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC), which celebrated 50 years of service to The Bahamas on October 1, 2006, is responsible for generating and distributing a safe, reliable and cost-effective supply of electricity throughout the islands.

Kevin Basden, General Manager, explains that the company focuses on providing exceptional service through staff training and improved technologies. He says, “We are a very technical institution that needs highly trained and competent employees. Investing in our people is not just an investment for now; it is an investment in our future.”

In recent years, BEC has managed to bring reliable electrical power to the Family Islands through a scheme involving local power plants. BEC charges a flat rate for power anywhere in the country “so as not to marginalize any of the people of The Bahamas,” Basden explains. He adds that at the moment, New Providence is subsidizing service in the Family Islands, but that new “anchor” projects are expected to change that in the future. The BEC is working closely with developers to ensure that such projects are a success.

Basden aims for BEC to continue to improve its services, including billing, interacting with customers and working with partners and developers. A current challenge is the rising cost of the oil required by the electricity-generation process. He says that the government is dealing with this through focusing on conservation and the development of renewable energy sources, as well as increased efficiency through new technologies. “Last year we launched a combined cycle which used the exhaust from our turbines to generate additional power without additional fuel cost, and installed a new diesel generator,” he explains.

BEC is strongly committed to supporting The Bahamas’ on-going development through providing reliable electricity supplies. “BEC is a stakeholder in the transformation of The Bahamas, and aims to meet or exceed customer expectations,” Basden concludes.