ES 04/2017 URCA Consumer Protection Plan (CPP) Approval
The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (“URCA”) issues this approval on the Bahamas Power and Light’s Company Limited (“BPL”) Consumer Protection Plan (“CPP”). This approval is based on URCA’s analysis of the revised CPP, in exercise of its power under section 40 (4) and (5) of the Electricity Act, 2015 (“EA”), and follows URCA’s Statements of Results and Final Determination ES 06/2018 issued on 22 August 2018.
The process for approval of BPL’s CPP commenced with the submission by BPL of its proposed CPP on 25 February 2017, in accordance with the provisions of section 40 of the EA. In accordance with the requirements of s 40, URCA conducted a consultation on the BPL CPP commencing with the issuance on 29 May 2017 of its “Consultation Document on: The Bahamas Power and Light’s Consumer Protection Plan” (ES 04/2017). During the consultation process, URCA received comments from the general public during town meetings held in New Providence, Abaco and Eleuthera, but no written comments were submitted.
The Statement of Results and Final Decision (ES 06/2018) set out URCA’s assessment of the CPP and URCA’s response to the comments received during the consultation process. It also set out the changes that BPL needed to make to the CPP for it to be approved by URCA. BPL was required to submit the final revised version of the CPP to URCA within thirty (30) calendar days from the publication of the Statement of Results and Final Decision. BPL failed to submit the BPL revised and amended CPP within the allotted time period, or in accordance with several verbal reminders issued thereafter. Consequently, in a letter dated 22 August 2019 URCA gave notice to BPL that failure and /or refusal of BPL to submit the BPL revised and amended CPP by close of business on 29 August 2019 would resulted in URCA taking the appropriate regulatory measure(s) against BPL.
