28 August 2020

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Today, The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (“URCA”) issues this Statement of Results and Final Decision (SoRFD) to its “Consultation on Public Electricity Supplier Licensees Reporting Obligations Procedures and Guidelines” (ES: 02/2020).

The primary role of URCA is the regulation of the sector in accordance with the goals, objectives and principles underpinning the national energy and electricity sector policy.  Accordingly, it is important that URCA effectively monitor and evaluate Licensees’ performance.

On 28 February 2020, URCA issued a Public Consultation Document (ES: 02/2020) in respect of the Public Electricity Supplier Licensees Reporting Obligations Procedures and Guidelines (“the Consultation Document”) and invited Licensees to provide responses by 30 March 2020. Consequent to the Covid-19 Pandemic, the delayed response from the PESL and the subsequent exigency order deferrals enacted by the Government of The Bahamas, URCA extended the submission date for responses to the Consultation Document to 15 July 2020. The Consultation Document sought respondents’ views on each section of the reporting obligations, procedures and guidelines through a series of questions. At the closed of the extended period, URCA only received one response from:

• The Bahamas Power and Light Company Limited (BPL).

In this Statement of Results and Final Decision, URCA:

(i) outlines the Regulatory Framework

(ii) summarizes the written submissions received to the Public Consultation Document (ES 02/2020) in respect of the Public Electricity Supply Licensees Reporting Obligations Procedures and Guidelines;

(iii) provides URCA’s analysis of the submissions made by key stakeholders; and

(iv) sets forth URCA’s Final Decision.

URCA’s final decision on the Guidelines for Collection and Reporting Performance of Operational data is contained in a separate document accompanying these SoRFD.

URCA thanks the respondent for participation in this public consultation process. Interested parties can obtain copies of the Statement of Results and Final Decision and responses received here and the Public Electricity Supply Licensees Reporting Obligations Procedures and Guidelines here.

 MEDIA CONTACT:

Mavis Johnson-Collie

Corporate and Consumer Relations Manager

Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority

Telephone: (242) 396-5201

Facsimile: (242) 393-0153

Email: mjcollie@urcabahamas.bs