Emera has been helping the Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC) with searching for alternative sources of energy, according to BEC’s general manager, Kevin Basden.
The Ministry of Environment has numerous companies that are willing to help the Bahamas with providing electricity from renewable energy sources, but Emera has already stepped up its efforts by purchasing major shares in the Grand Bahama Power Company Limited.
Emera is a multi-billion dollar energy services company, which recently purchased 25 percent of the Grand Bahama Power Company Limited for more than $40 million.
President and CEO of Emera, Chris Huskilson, told members of the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce last week at the British Colonial Hilton Hotel that his company invested in the Bahamas because of the potential for enormous growth.
"From a BEC perspective, we have already started the renewable energy process," Mr. Basden told the Bahama Journal recently. "We issued requests for proposals and some 30 firms applied. We have already short-listed firms that applied."
"We are in the process of phase two of that program so we are proceeding along the lines of getting renewable energy and to see what is best in the Bahamas."
Mr. Basden said that as a result of Emera’s presentation, there has already been any number of renewable sources of energy that is available.
"Some of them are commercial and some of them are not," he said. "Some are cost-effective and some are not, so at the end of the day we need to make a decision that’s in the best interest of BEC and the Bahamas at large."
"On a utilities scale we are pursuing that we have set some timelines for this renewable energy process in terms of engagement of an engineering consultancy firm to assist us with some of the works as well as negotiating with those companies on the short list."
He said before the end of the year, BEC will hopefully have a contract signed.
"However, we’re working seriously towards introducing renewable energy on a utilities scale as soon as we can," Mr. Basden told the Journal. "Let me also say that once a contract is signed it still calls for some studies, design of the equipment and as you would have seen from Emera’s presentation this is not something that you just pick off the shelf."
"There will be some technical works that will have to be apart of the system."
The BEC general manager also told the Journal that the Corporation cannot do much in terms of cutting costs to the consumer, except to encourage consumers to lower demand for the utility when the alternative energy sources are introduced.
He said the steadily rising cost of oil on the open market has put the pinch on BEC’s finances.
Mr. Basden reiterated that the escalating cost of utilities is matched by soaring food prices, especially the prices of wheat, bread and corn.
"We cannot control the cost of oil. That’s beyond our control. What we can do is where we need to put in generators, put in efficient units be as efficient as we can, and at the same time, from the customer perspective, they can take steps to reduce the demand from their side of the business," he said.
