Our future depends on bold renewable targets, not another fossil fuel detour. Bermuda stands at a critical crossroads in shaping its energy future. The next integrated resource plan will lock in our electricity mix for decades. The choices made now will ripple through our economy, our environment and our climate resilience for generations.

The Bermuda Environmental Sustainability Taskforce strongly urges the Regulatory Authority to chart an ambitious path towards renewable energy — and to firmly reject proposals to introduce liquefied natural gas. Bermuda must move away from fossil fuels, not towards new ones. LNG would bind our island to long-term carbon emissions, price volatility and environmental risks — directly undermining our climate commitments.

Since the last IRP was issued, the cost of renewable energy has plummeted. We see no reason why the RA could justify allowing LNG now after rejecting it seven years ago.

LNG is the wrong choice

LNG is not a bridge to the future; it is a roadblock.

• Climate incompatibility: LNG is still a fossil fuel. Building new LNG infrastructure would lock in decades of carbon emissions just as the world is racing to cut them

• Environmental risk: LNG facilities carry major safety and spill hazards. Methane leaks trap 40 times more heat than carbon dioxide over their 12-year life span

• Physical impracticality: Bermuda’s small size and dense development make it virtually impossible to build LNG terminals with the required safety buffer zones

• Economic liability: LNG prices are volatile, and costly infrastructure will likely become stranded assets as the world rapidly transitions to clean energy

• Lost opportunity: Every dollar spent on LNG delays investment in renewable energy systems that will power Bermuda’s future.

The case for renewables

A clean energy transition is not just environmentally sound; it’s economically smart. The next IRP should commit to:

• High renewable targets: Set clear milestones for solar, wind and battery storage to cut emissions, create local jobs, and strengthen energy independence

• Accelerated floating solar: The RA’s proposed 10mW floating solar system could supply a meaningful share of Bermuda’s daytime power while overcoming land constraints. This should be fast-tracked and paired with battery storage

• Vehicle-to-grid integration: Electric vehicles can serve as mobile batteries, storing surplus solar and feeding it back into the grid during peak demand. This would reduce the need for expensive peaker engines while empowering consumers

• Energy efficiency: Incentivise building retrofits, efficient appliances and stronger codes to lower consumption and household costs

• Equity and inclusion: Ensure a just transition that protects low-income residents and includes broad community participation, so the benefits of clean energy are shared by all

• Grid diversity: When a Category 5 hurricane hits Bermuda, barely a telephone pole will be left standing. The only people with power will be solar-energy producers with stand-alone battery storage or a parked EV car with battery. This is our future

A vision for 2040

Imagine a Bermuda powered by 80 per cent to 100 per cent renewables by 2040. Homes and businesses run on abundant local energy from rooftop and floating solar, supported by offshore wind and advanced storage systems. Our vehicles double as grid assets. Energy bills are stable, our air is cleaner and our economy is more resilient.

This is the future we can choose — if we act now.

No time to lose

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has said: “We are on the cusp of a new era. Fossil fuels are running out of road. The sun is rising on a clean energy age… There are no price spikes for sunlight. No embargoes on wind.”

He’s right. Ninety per cent of renewable projects are now cheaper than fossil fuels. The smart economic choice and the moral imperative are one and the same.

The Regulatory Authority has a rare opportunity to set Bermuda on a path towards clean, resilient, home-grown energy. BEST calls on the RA to reject LNG proposals and embrace a bold renewable vision. Doing so would cut emissions, enhance energy security, protect our fragile environment and build a healthier, more prosperous future for everyone who calls Bermuda home.

• Kim J. Smith is the executive director of the Bermuda Environmental Sustainability Taskforce