Restructured Regulatory Committee brings together independent utility regulation expertise, technical experience, and community representation ahead of public consultation.
FREEPORT, GRAND BAHAMA, September 16, 2026, The Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) has confirmed receipt of a formal rate review application from the Grand Bahama Utility Company (GBUC), which will now proceed through an established regulatory review process led by a strengthened Regulatory Committee bringing together independent regulatory expertise, utility experience, business leadership and Grand Bahama community representation.
The GBUC submission is an application for consideration and does not constitute an approved rate adjustment. No determination will be made until the application has undergone regulatory review and public consultation, including an opportunity for residents, businesses and other stakeholders to provide feedback.
As part of GBPA’s commitment to strengthening transparency, accountability and public confidence in the regulatory process, the Regulatory Committee has been restructured to provide a broader range of perspectives and expertise in its consideration of matters before it.
The Committee will be chaired by international utility regulatory expert Dr. Viren Ajodhia, with Grand Bahama community and business representatives Collin Cover and Carina Ferguson, together with Nakira Wilchcombe, Vice President, Building & Development Services, and Karla McIntosh, Vice President, Legal Affairs, representing GBPA.
The composition brings together expertise across utility regulation, engineering, regulated utility management, business and the Grand Bahama community, providing the Committee with a diverse foundation from which to assess GBUC’s application and its potential implications for customers and the wider Grand Bahama economy.
- Ajodhia brings more than 25 years of international experience in utility regulation and has advised governments, regulators and utilities in more than 50 countries. His work spans tariff methodology, cost-of-service and cost-of-capital determination, and performance standards for water and electricity utilities. His multidisciplinary background includes economic, technical, and legal expertise.
- Cover brings more than four decades of utility and engineering experience, including senior leadership roles in both The Bahamas and regulated Caribbean utility environments. His work spans more than three decades in regulated utilities and has completed specialized regulatory training at the University of Florida.
- Ferguson is a Bahamian entrepreneur, business leader and advocate with more than 18 years of experience in management, operations and entrepreneurship. The founder of PURE h2o Bahamas and Second Vice President of the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce, she brings practical insight shaped by building and operating a Bahamian manufacturing business in Grand Bahama through Hurricane Dorian and the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Wilchcombe and McIntosh will represent GBPA, providing institutional and regulatory context to support the Committee’s work.
Together, the Committee’s composition is intended to ensure that the application receives rigorous consideration informed by independent regulatory expertise, direct regulated utility experience, technical knowledge, local business insight and an understanding of the Grand Bahama community.
In keeping with GBPA’s commitment to transparency and public participation, the GBUC rate review application and supporting information will be made available for public access beginning September 15, 2026 with the public consultation period remaining open through October 31, 2026.
Following publication, the Regulatory Committee will commence a public consultation process, providing residents, businesses and other stakeholders with an opportunity to examine the application and provide feedback for consideration as part of the regulatory review.
Dr. Viren Ajodhia, chairman of the Regulatory Committee, said the strengthened composition of the Committee is particularly important given the significance of utility regulation to residents and businesses across Grand Bahama.
“The review of a utility rate application requires careful consideration of technical, financial and operational information, but it must also consider the interests and perspectives of the community being served. By bringing together independent regulatory expertise, extensive utility experience, local business representation and GBPA’s regulatory knowledge, we are strengthening the framework through which this application will be assessed.”
Ajodhia emphasized that the submission of the application represents the beginning of the regulatory process, not its conclusion.
“No decision has been made on GBUC’s application. The Regulatory Committee will undertake its review, the public will have an opportunity to participate through consultation, and the information and feedback received will form part of the Committee’s consideration before a determination is made.”
GBPA encourages residents, businesses and other interested stakeholders to visit its website to review the application and supporting information and to participate in the public consultation process.
