A bid to end a deadlock over Belco buying solar-generated energy has been launched by the Regulatory Authority.

The authority, now responsible for supervision of the electricity sector, wants to hear the views of the public and interested parties on solar net metering.

The move came after the Regulatory Authority earlier this month issued an emergency general determination on transitional measures governing the growing solar-energy market.

The authority acted after Belco wrote to solar-power equipment providers, which said that the power firm was waiting for the Regulatory Authority to approve its new feed-in tariff for new suppliers of excess solar energy.

The determination said: “Belco’s unilateral decision to close its solar net-metering scheme has had a detrimental effect on the solar PV industry as a whole as new solar PV customers are unable to receive any payment from Belco for their excess electricity, which in turn affects the rate of adoption of clean-energy sources and has implications for the Bermuda economy as a whole.

“It should further be noted that when the scheme was originally implemented Belco created an expectation on the level and frequency of the payments to be received and customers made important financial decisions based on these expectations.

“In light of the Energy Commission response, and these detrimental effects, the authority considers the restoration of a feed-in tariff for solar PV to be urgent pending a full public consultation on the issues presented.”

The transitional scheme for commercial and private solar-power purchase was set at 17.36 cents per kilowatt hour from January 1 until the Regulatory Authority issues a final determination on Belco’s proposed changes to the solar net-metering scheme.

Details of the consultation can be found in the consultation document, attached to this webpage under the Related Media heading and at http://www.rab.bm/index.php/electricity-consultations/1470-17-03-16-consultation-on-emergency-general-determation-solar-net-meterin/file.