FDM says energy policy change reflects its long-held view
The Free Democratic Movement has welcomed the Government’s “overdue recognition” that renewable energy targets it had previously set were unrealistic — adding that liquefied natural gas should be pursued as a “bridge fuel” to a cleaner energy future.
Ricardo Nesbitt, an FDM candidate, issued a statement today in response to the release of a renewed National Electricity Sector Policy, updated from the 2015 version, which is subject to consultation until May 4.
In it, the Government revealed plans to abandon its target for the island to produce 85 per cent of its energy from renewable sources by 2035 but rather produce 93 per cent from fossil fuels by 2030.
Mr Nesbitt said his party had been clear on its stance that while Bermuda needs cleaner energy, renewables alone are not the answer in the present climate but that an affordable solution must be found to address soot and emissions caused by fossil fuels.
He said that Belco’s North Power Station was designed to accommodate LNG and that avenue should be pursued.
Mr Nesbitt said: “We have been clear that Bermuda needs a cleaner energy solution that is stable enough to run the grid, and cost-effective enough to bring relief to families and businesses.
“We have also been clear that, based on current technology and the reality of an island grid, renewables alone are not able to carry the base load. That is why our policy has said LNG should be used as a bridge fuel, while renewables continue to play an important role in private, decentralised and distributed generation.
“After years of pretending the island could rush headlong into targets that were never grounded in cost, grid stability or practical delivery, the Government is now talking about ‘affordability, reliability and equity’.
“After years of selling the public an 85 per cent renewables by 2035 vision, it is now pivoting and openly acknowledging the constraints of Bermuda’s isolated grid.
“Once again, irony is that this is exactly the kind of realism the FDM has already put in writing. Our Energy and Environment Policy, published in February 2025, stated plainly that the North Power Station was designed for LNG, that LNG was identified as the least costly option in Bermuda’s Integrated Resource Plan framework and that LNG should provide Bermuda’s baseload energy while renewable energy plays a complementary role.”
The IRP, a blueprint for the island’s future energy mix, is a living document subject to regular updates.
The NPS encountered emissions and soot fallout, which Belco president Wayne Caines attributed to having a station configured for LNG switch over to burning heavy fuel oil after the natural gas option was rejected by the Regulatory Authority.
The Government said in its policy that the push for renewables followed a change in Government in 2017 “with the new administration placing greater emphasis on environmental sustainability and rapid renewable energy deployment”.
Mr Nesbitt said it was “par for the course” for the Government to arrive at a decision the FDM had already put in writing.
He added: “We now wait to see if it can make the big decisions that reduce the pollution, lower the cost of electricity and deal honestly with the reality that fossil fuels are not disappearing tomorrow.
“The Government’s own draft now says renewable generation must be pursued within the limits of affordability and reliability, and it even records that earlier policy work identified LNG as the most cost-effective path for the NPS.
“The FDM welcomes that overdue recognition.
“If the Government now accepts what it once resisted, then it should stop dancing around the issue and start implementing a practical transition that cuts soot, reduces fuel costs and gives Bermuda room to build renewable capacity sensibly over time. FDM is encouraged that this administration is following our lead. Better late than never.”
The Ministry of Home Affairs said the policy set out a plan to increase the country’s renewable targets from 7 per cent in 2030 to 35 per cent by 2040 and to 50 per cent by 2050.
While there was no explicit mention in the policy of a plan to pursue LNG, its new “technology-agnostic” stance opens the door to new technologies that reduce cost for customers while providing a reliable, equitable supply.
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