Government is forging ahead with incentives to encourage Islanders to adopt renewable energy technologies in their homes.

The Energy Commission will be announced this month to start shaping legislation for 'smart' metering, feed-in tariffs and a grid policy.

Government has also been working with HM Customs to reduce or scrap duty on various renewable goods and equipment. This includes solar photovoltaic panels, electric vehicles and heat recovery generating equipment.

Michael Scott, Minister of Energy, Telecommunications and E-Commerce, announced the moves at a press conference on Monday into Government's Throne Speech initiatives.

Mr. Scott said following the Solar Photovoltaic Rebate Initiative last month, Government is to announce the Energy Commission in the coming weeks.

"We intend to appoint and announce the Energy Commission by the end of this month and have them fully operational by the end of this calendar year," he said.

"This body will be instrumental in helping develop policy, and assist us in framing legislation regarding grid policy, 'smart' metering and feed-in tariffs, to name but a few."

Grid policy will establish procedures for the future of Bermuda's electricity network, in relation to individual power producers and technological standards.

Smart meters measure the amount of energy produced from renewable technologies in the home, and also the amount consumed from the grid. They calculate your total energy usage over a period of time, so helping you to cut down your fossil fuel usage.

Feed-in tariffs will establish what are fair prices for Belco to pay to homeowners who sell their renewable energy back to the grid.

The Throne Speech pledged: "During this Session the Ministry of Energy, Telecommunications and E-Commerce will submit its White Paper on Energy coupled with leadership in the development of incentives to encourage Bermudians to assume a lifestyle based upon practical energy conservation habits and to adopt energy efficient technologies."

The White Paper will establish a national energy policy and set out legislation. It follows Government's Green Paper earlier this year, which was drawn up after extensive consultation with the public and local and international energy experts.

In July, Government introduced the Energy Act 2009, which outlined the Energy Commission to regulate costs and license the sale of electricity.

Mr. Scott said Belco was fully on board with Government plans to develop a more sustainable energy future for the Island.

"Belco are very keen to see a sustainable player or players in Bermuda," he said.

"It makes sense for them as it can affect their business policy around the need to build this other generator (at the central Pembroke site).

"They are very concerned about that and if they can move that requirement, it suits them very well. Belco had wished to avoid the major expansion of a future generator, as a consequence of having a sustainable energy product.

"All of these are questions of time, budgeting to put this in place, and the private sector coming to the table."

Belco has set up a small-scale renewables company (PureNERGY), and recently completed a Solicitation of Interest for large-scale renewable providers.

The company envisages providing a fifth of Bermuda's electricity through solar Photovoltaic (PV) panels, wind farms, wave technology and biomass by 2020, to reduce fossil fuel consumption and reliance on oil imports.

Traditional fossil fuel electricity will however, remain a part of Bermuda's energy mix. Belco says it needs a new generator to provide an additional 28 mega watts of electricity to meet demand by 2011.

The company has submitted a planning application for two new generators and three smoke stacks to be rolled out over 23 years in eight phases. The $200 million project however, could be trimmed down depending on the level of uptake of small-scale and large-scale renewables.

Mr. Scott said yesterday that Government still wanted to encourage public feedback on a national energy policy.

"Bermuda's Energy future is about all of us and your input does matter," he said.

"If you would like to still give us your thoughts, then please do so by contacting the Department of Energy. The White Paper is intended to be about what's best for Bermuda and the energy landscape of the future."

He added energy conservation and efficiency information was available online at: www.gov.bm