Today the Minister of Home Affairs, the Hon. Alexa Lightbourne JP, MP, provided the following regarding stakeholder feedback to the recently released National Electricity Sector Policy (NESP) consultative document.
Minister Lightbourne said, “The National Electricity Sector Policy sets a principled framework for Bermuda's transition to a lower-cost, lower-carbon, and more resilient electricity system. The Ministry treats the Greenrock submission as a substantive contribution to the consultation record and responds to its core recommendations below.
“The Ministry believes that a principles-based framework is not the absence of direction. Bermudas targets will be set through the Integrated Resource Plan, the regulatory instruments that govern procurement, and the system planning cycle. Targets without delivery mechanisms are performative. Targets tied to plans, procurement, and oversight produce measurable change.
“Least-cost outcomes are shaped by policy, regulation, and procurement design. They are not discovered by a single utility acting alone. The Ministry's policy positions procurement as the mechanism through which competitive and transparent processes reduce the cost of capital, shorten the path to deployment, and subject investment decisions to independent review. The policy contemplates the transfer Integrated Resource Plan governance from the Bermuda Electric Light Company (BELCO) to the Regulatory Authority, and the introduction of mandatory audit powers over fuel and capital costs that preserves regulatory independence while reinforcing accountability. Together these reforms give the least-cost principle an institutional home.
“Infrastructure lock-in is a legitimate concern. The Ministry's position is that procurement and investment decisions must be tested against transparent least-cost pathways, reviewed by the Regulatory Authority under strengthened audit powers, and measured against the Integrated Resource Plan. Lock-in is managed through process and oversight.
“Distributed solar and efficiency are among the most effective tools Bermuda has to reduce fuel imports and stabilise household bills. Their continued expansion requires tariff design that protects consumer benefit, fair compensation for grid services, and a modernised grid capable of absorbing distributed generation safely. These workstreams sit with the Regulatory Authority and will advance alongside the legislative amendments.
“The Ministry remains open to all feedback. Submissions received will inform final policy drafting, the Integrated Resource Plan cycle, and the regulatory instruments that give the Policy operational force. The Ministry invites further written engagement from stakeholders as the consultation advances.”