Belco still wants to develop Morgan?s Point and other areas of the former US baselands to generate electricity.

First announced 14 years ago, Bermuda Electric Light Company CEO and President Garry Madeiros confirmed yesterday that expanding on Morgan?s Point, Southampton, was still very much on the cards.

?We are interested in looking at a number of different things,? he said. ?One of them is at Morgan?s Point. It is still part of of the plans I would like to consider. The whole plan will take in both ends of the Island.?

Mr. Madeiros suggested Belco building on the former Naval Annex in 1990, but nothing had been done so far.

Looking at the East End, Belco said NASA used to create its own power. When NASA moved out of Cooper?s Island ? before it was a Nature Reserve ? Belco wanted to take it over.

?Government would not allow us on Cooper?s Island,? he said. ?Unfortunately something already in place could not be used.?

There also used to be means of producing electricity on Marginal Wharf ? where Bermuda Homes for People wanted to build low-cost homes ? but this idea was also shut down.

?We definitely need an expansion,? he said. ?An official release should be expected in the next few months, when we will start discussions with Government and businesses.?

Mr. Madeiros said Belco started working on the next long term generation study last September and spent 12 months working on it.

The challenges for the future were extensive, he said.

?There are a number of decisions that need to be made going forward that require all of us to make,? he said.

A Belco spokeswoman added finding an alternate site was ?more of an issue than it had ever been?.

?Less and less land is available and there will always be a need for sites for generation,? she said. ?There are only so many lots of land left. Before they all get developed we have to look at what we have and earmark one for power generation.?

However, she said Belco was not yet in talks with the Bermuda land Development Company (BLDC) which owns the 250-acre site. BLDC had already spent $6.5 million cleaning up the 520,000 gallons of viscous oil and sludge and a 55,000 gallon plume of J5 jet fuel which has seeped into Bassett?s Cave.

Belco is particularly interested in building offshore windmills to produce power, according to its 2004 annual report.

However Belco said wind power was ?intermittent? so a permanent onshore plant would always be needed.

The report said Belco?s long-term generation study was taking a ?holistic view? of future energy options.

Given limited space at its Serpentine Road location, it was investigating renewable energy, partnerships and distributed generation.

?Physical space, environmental considerations, costs and their effect on the price of electricity, and the long-term health of our infrastructure and system will all weigh heavily on our future plans,? the company said. ?Providing for Bermuda?s future energy needs requires integrated planning for allocation of remaining land. New developments and expansions must incorporate a sophisticated infrastructure that has potential to go beyond meeting immediate needs, to also provide scope for growth and meeting future needs.?