Environment Minister sets out goals of national energy policy

Bermuda is positioning itself as a leader among small island nations in finding greener ways of energy production, Environment Minister Walter Roban said today.

Mr Roban said: “The primary threat to energy security in Bermuda is the impending threat of peak oil — the time at which the world’s production of oil peaks and thereafter enters a period of terminal decline.

“As this occurs, oil supplies will become increasingly limited, pushing prices ever upward. If we do not act, sooner or later the cost of electricity, gasoline and diesel will exceed what we can afford.

“We simply must find more cost-effective and secure ways of meeting our energy needs.”

But Mr Rohan said the impact of climate change — which could hit low-lying Bermuda badly if sea levels continue to rise — was a crucial factor.

He said Bermudians will have to slash their emissions by 13 tonnes per person within the next three decades.

Mr Roban said: “This threatens our entire way of life if not addressed. Climate scientists have made it clear that greenhouse gas emissions must peak within the next few years and then decline to less than one tonne per person on average by 2050 to avoid dangerous changes to the global climate.

“Residents of Bermuda currently produce more than 14 tonnes per person which means we have a great deal of work to do, and we must begin that work now.”

Mr Roban was speaking after he tabled Government’s Energy White Paper — a nine-year plan to produce power from sustainable sources such as wind, wave and solar sources.

The White Paper was drawn up by an in-house team from the Ministry without the use of overseas consultants — and puts Bermuda far ahead of similar countries like the Cayman Islands and British Virgin Islands.

Mr Roban said: “Fortunately, the technologies required to achieve the goals of the White Paper exist today and most are already affordable, so our goals can and will be reached.”

The Bermuda Sun last week outlined proposals being considered by energy firm Belco to deal with the energy crisis — including one which could see a disused 80 acre runway at the Government-owned airport carpeted with solar panels to produce eight megawatts of power — a substantial chunk of the 167 megawatts the island needs.

Mr Roban said: “I can’t speak to that specifically, but there have been a number of proposals around solar technology in Bermuda in a variety of ways and with a number of options available.

“We are going to look at them — some require Government assistance with land and each proposal will be looked at individually.

“There are a lot of plans from different people and Belco have some of them. We encourage anyone to come to us with their plans. What we do with them is subject to us looking at it carefully and in the context of the White Paper.”

He added that, as power production may be opened up to other providers, Government would have to look at an energy regulatory authority and legislative changes to power the plan forward.

Mr Roban said it was also planned to up-production from the Government Tynes Bay waste-to-energy plant, to pump a bigger surplus into the national grid.

He added: “We’re happy to keep most of Bermuda’s energy production in private hands. Potentially, there is room for Government collaboration. Belco is one of the organizations out there pushing a plan, but there are a number of other players.”

Mr Roban said that individuals also had a part to play in reducing demand for power and natural resources.

He added that the use of a compact fluorescent bulb instead of a conventional light bulb could save up to $170 worth of electricity over its lifetime.

Mr Roban said: “Solar water heating has also become very affordable, the cost of installation almost negligible when considered in the construction phase of a project. Solar panels are becoming more affordable each year, with more and more panel manufacturers entering a hungry market.

“Large scale wind developers tell us that with a feed-in tariff of only around 20 cents per kilowatt hour, they can be profitable.”

But he warned: “Implementing the policies contained in the White Paper is not a task to be taken lightly. It will require a major and sustained effort over the next few years.

“It’s also important to recognize that achieving the goals of the White Paper extends far beyond the Government’s reach and will require participation from the whole community.

“This will be extremely demanding and will require nothing short of a national energy transition. These efforts will, however, change the direction of our entire energy future.