When the Davis administration assured Bahamians that it was prepared for the demands of the 2026 summer season, many expected that preparation would be reflected in a stable electricity supply. Instead, residents across the country have endured repeated power outages, while affected customers on New Providence have been offered an $8.45 electricity bill rebate—a gesture that has been criticized by many as symbolic rather than substantive.

For the people of Eleuthera, however, there has not even been a rebate. Instead, they have once again been offered something they have heard before another promise that relief is on the way.

Speaking this week, Minister of Public Works and Utilities and Central and South Eleuthera MP Clay Sweeting expressed optimism that a power purchase agreement signed with EA Energy Limited would eventually stabilize electricity on the island.

As reported by The Nassau Guardian, Minister Sweeting stated:

“We’re excited about what EA Energy will bring to Eleuthera because along with development comes the need for power production… The equipment is on site… to commence the solarization there, as well as the LNG project.”

The facts surrounding the project are largely undisputed.

The Davis administration signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with EA Energy Limited for the construction, ownership and operation of an 8.7-megawatt solar generation facility together with a 19.97-megawatt LNG-powered generating facility on Eleuthera. The project forms part of the government’s wider energy reform programme, which it has repeatedly described as one of its signature accomplishments.

Site clearing was publicly announced in 2025, and government officials have consistently maintained that financing for the project is secured. Yet, nearly a year after those announcements, there remains no publicly confirmed completion date for the project, while Eleutherians continue to experience significant power interruptions.

That naturally raises a question.

If the project was intended to provide meaningful relief, why are residents still being asked to wait?

Even more importantly, why should Bahamians simply accept yet another assurance that “progress is happening” without being given a clear timeline for completion?

This is not the first time the government has announced measures intended to stabilize Eleuthera’s electricity supply.

In late 2024, the government announced the installation of approximately one megawatt of rental generation on Harbour Island following persistent complaints from residents and businesses about unreliable electricity. That temporary generation was presented as an immediate solution while longer-term infrastructure was developed.

Today, the public deserves an update.

Is that rental generation still operating?

Has it delivered the level of stability that was promised?

If not, what became of that initiative?

These are not unreasonable questions. They are questions of accountability.

Instead, the public is once again being asked to focus on what is coming rather than what has—or has not—already been delivered.

The government’s political messaging has consistently portrayed its energy policy as proactive. Yet the lived experience of many Bahamians tells a different story. Residents on New Providence continue to endure outages despite assurances that the country was prepared for the summer peak demand period. Family Islands such as Eleuthera continue to face recurring disruptions while being told that relief is just around the corner.

Governments are not judged solely by the number of agreements they sign or the announcements they make. They are judged by results.

This administration has frequently pointed to inherited challenges within Bahamas Power and Light. There is no dispute that BPL’s infrastructure required significant investment long before 2021. However, after nearly five years in office, the Davis administration must increasingly answer for its own record rather than simply the record it inherited.

The question is no longer what was inherited.

The question is what has been delivered.

Perhaps the most uncomfortable political reminder comes from the 2021 general election campaign.

During that campaign, Prime Minister Philip Davis repeatedly argued that meaningful progress for constituencies like Eleuthera required electing PLP representatives and supporting a PLP government. The implication was unmistakable: political alignment with the government would accelerate development and improve public services.

Five years later, many Eleutherians may reasonably ask whether those expectations have been fulfilled.

Instead of dependable electricity, they continue to receive explanations.

Instead of clear completion dates, they receive optimism.

Instead of measurable progress, they are offered another promise.

Meanwhile, customers on New Providence are being asked to appreciate an $8.45 rebate—an amount many believe falls far short of compensating households and businesses for spoiled food, damaged appliances, disrupted commerce, and the inconvenience caused by repeated outages.

Eleutherians are not even being offered that.

They are simply being told to wait.

And after years of waiting, it is entirely reasonable for Bahamians to ask whether the government underestimated the scale of the problem, overpromised during the campaign, or failed to deliver the urgency that the situation demanded.

Because at some point, “progress is happening” must become “progress has happened.”

For the people of Eleuthera, that day cannot come soon enough.

The Bahamian people deserve better.

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