Mr. Speaker, I rise today to inform this Honourable House of the Government of Bermuda’s participation in the 2025 Caribbean Renewable Energy Forum (CREF), which took place from May 7th and concluded today, May 9th, in Miami, Florida.
Now in its 17th year, CREF continues to be a key event bringing together ministers, regulators, utilities, investors, and international development partners united by a shared commitment to climate resilience and energy affordability. As my first overseas engagement as Minister of Home Affairs, CREF offered an invaluable opportunity to represent Bermuda’s interests on the international stage alongside our Caribbean neighbours in joint pursuit of a fairer, cleaner energy future.
Mr. Speaker, Bermuda’s participation in CREF as grounded in the recognition that our island faces complex barriers to energy equity—from our reliance on imported fossil fuels to the constraints of limited land and aging infrastructure.
Through consultation, target-setting, and disciplined execution, we will continue to champion a strategy that modernizes Bermuda’s power sector with the goal of lowering household costs, reducing emissions, and building system resilience.
Mr. Speaker, CREF further provided a platform to share updates on Bermuda’s clean energy progress, including our proposed Integrated Resource Plan and the successes from the electrification of our public bus fleet through the support of Rocky Mountain Institute.
While still under regulatory review, this proposed IRP builds on the foundation of the existing IRP and is further informed by technological advancements and critical insights that better inform Bermuda’s prospective energy mix. Upon the completion of the Regulatory Authority’s review process, I look forward to updating this Honourable House.
Mr. Speaker, while attending CREF, I had the privilege of participating in the Women in Renewable Energy Luncheon and the Ministerial Roundtable entitled “Diverse Pathways to Energy Transition in the Caribbean.”
I joined ministerial colleagues from islands large and small to discuss our respective policy approaches, regulatory tools, and investment environments.
It was a privilege to share Bermuda’s experience and our ambition to balance affordability with innovation, to integrate public trust through education, and to ensure that our regulatory and legislative environment remains agile enough to accommodate emerging technologies and financing models. This roundtable affirmed that while no two jurisdictions are identical, our region is strongest when we learn from one another and confront shared challenges together.
Mr. Speaker, as I also held a bilateral meeting with the United Kingdom’s Under Secretary for Energy Security and Net Zero, Under Secretary McCarthy. During our engagement, Under Secretary McCarthy expressed an interest to better support Bermuda through facilitating greater access to resources to advance our energy agenda.
Mr. Speaker, as Bermuda continues its work to finalize the proposed IRP through the RA, expand solar deployment, explore the feasibility of innovative technologies, and strengthen community resilience, CREF served as a powerful reminder that we are not navigating this path alone. We are part of a broader movement to redefine energy as a public good, not a luxury; and as a platform to advance equity, not exclusion.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.