By FAY SIMMONS
TRIBUNE Business Reporter
jsimmons@tribunemedia.net
GRAND Bahama Power Company’s chief executive yesterday warned that Caribbean energy providers must find ways to expand renewable energy while keeping power affordable and reliable for customers.
Speaking at the opening of the 2026 CARILEC Resilient/Renewable Energy Community conference and exhibition in Nassau, Nikita Mullings said the region's energy transition will depend on more than ambitious targets, requiring investment, clear regulatory frameworks and stronger partnerships among governments, regulators, utilities and investors.
“The energy transition is not just a technology challenge; it is a financing challenge, an execution challenge, and ultimately a leadership challenge,” she said.
Mrs Mullings said Caribbean utilities face common pressures from volatile fuel prices, high electricity costs, exposure to severe weather and the need to modernise their energy systems
While renewable energy, battery storage, energy efficiency and smarter grid technologies offer opportunities to address those challenges, she said the question is how to deliver the transition at a scale, speed and cost that customers could sustain.
For utilities such as GB Power, this means balancing affordability, reliability and resilience while integrating renewable energy safely, strengthening electricity networks and attracting investment, she added.
Mrs Mullings said the region needs co-ordinated national plans, finance-able projects and regulatory frameworks that provide clarity for investors while protecting consumers.
She urged conference participants to focus on the barriers that must be removed, the investments that must be mobilised and the partnerships needed to move the energy transition forward.
“Are we up to the challenge?” Mrs Mullings asked, arguing that regional co-operation can help Caribbean countries learn from one another rather than attempt to solve common problems independently.
Toni Seymour, Bahamas Power & Light’s (BPL) chief executive, also highlighted the importance of regional co-operation, noting CARILEC provided utilities with an opportunity to exchange ideas, examine new technologies and discuss both successful initiatives and approaches that have not worked.
Although Caribbean islands differ in size and available resources, many face similar energy challenges, she said.
Mrs Seymour said BPL is working to expand renewable generation through independent power producer (IPP) agreements, diversify the country's energy supply and support a more sustainable electricity sector.
The energy transition could not be accomplished by any one utility alone, she said, pointing to the need for sound policy, strategic planning, responsible investment and partnerships.
Mrs Seymour encouraged participants to share their experiences and develop practical solutions that could continue to benefit utilities after the conference ends.
BPL and GB Power are co-hosting the conference, which brings together utility executives and other energy sector stakeholders from across the Caribbean to discuss policy, planning and the transition towards more resilient and sustainable electricity systems.
Mrs Seymour said the gathering also provides an opportunity to share information about the Bahamas' New Energy Era and the projects being pursued to meet its renewable energy goals.
Conference participants are also expected to tour BPL's battery energy storage system, providing an opportunity to examine the technology and discuss how utilities across the region are working towards their renewable energy targets.
Mrs Mullings said the success of the transition should ultimately be measured by the clean energy integrated into electricity systems, stronger infrastructure, managed costs and the communities those systems serve.
“Our success will be measured not by the targets we announce and put on paper, but by the clean energy that we continue to integrate, the infrastructure that we strengthen, the costs that we manage,” she said.