The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) has issued its Statement of Results and Final Determination on the Regulatory Accounts Guidelines for the Electricity Sector (ES 16/2026) following a public consultation with industry stakeholders.

The new framework establishes binding requirements for Public Electricity Suppliers to maintain separate regulatory accounts for electricity generation, transmission, distribution and supply services. The guidelines are designed to improve financial transparency, strengthen regulatory oversight and support more accurate tariff reviews by ensuring that costs and revenues are allocated to the appropriate business activities.

Following feedback from Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) and Grand Bahama Power Company (GBPC), URCA confirmed a three-year phased implementation period. Licensees will be required to submit implementation roadmaps in 2026, prepare Accounting and Cost Allocation Manuals (ACAMs), and achieve full compliance by the end of 2028.

The document also outlines new requirements for transfer pricing, related-party disclosures, annual reporting and regulatory audits, providing a consistent and internationally comparable framework for regulatory accounting in The Bahamas’ electricity sector.

The document can be found here: ES16/2026 SoR and FD – Regulatory Accounts Guidelines for the Electricity Sector