It was at this tough time that Frank McConney, up to then Manager of Business Operations, was named General Manager and later in the year Managing Director, on the retirement of John Nelson, who had been with the firm for 24 years, 20 of them as Managing Director. The PUB approved rate increases on May 16 1980 bringing financial relief to the cash-strapped Company, and pending loan negotiations could be finalized.

By 1980, Barbadians owned 52% of the Company, or some three million shares.

In 1982, two 12.5 megawatt low-speed diesel units were installed at the Spring Garden Generating Station, which was opened by then Prime Minister Tom Adams in 1983.

That year, the PUB gave the Company a rate increase of 7 1/2 cents per kWh, backdated to November 1982, and in 1985, the Company took a major step forward in its drive for improved customer service when the Supervisory Control & Data Acquisition (SCADA) system was installed; allowing operators to monitor the distribution network from a control room at the Garrison headquarters.