The process of developing the Electricity Supply Bill was carried out utilising an extensive and inclusive consultative approach. The preparation of the draft Bill commenced in 2019 to give effect to the development of a new market structure which benefited from significant consultation with stakeholders within the energy sector. This approach is in keeping with Government’s understanding that as energy affects us all, we all should have an opportunity to express both our views and interests.
At the time, the stakeholders included the Barbados Light and Power (BLPC), the Fair Trading Commission (FTC), Government Electrical Engineer Department (GEED), the Electric Light and Power Act Committee (ELPAC), and the Barbados Cooperative League. Based on this early consultation, the draft Bill was updated during 2020 and was later presented to the Chief Parliamentary Council for its review.
In 2022, an updated draft Bill based on the guidance of the Chief Parliamentary Council was made available to the Ministry of Energy and Business and was submitted to the Cabinet of Barbados for approval in November of 2022. Drafting instructions were given to the Chief Parliamentary Council and once the Bill was returned to the Ministry, in legal form, it was ready for broad public consultation.
In August of 2023, the Ministry of Energy and Business publicly circulated the approved draft Bill and invited comments via the Government Information Service (GIS). This invitation was subsequently extended to the public via radio, television, GIS website, Instagram, the website of the Ministry of Energy and Business, and email.
That open invitation continued between August 2023 and February 2024, after which the Ministry of Energy and Business hosted a consultation on the draft Electricity Supply Bill in February of 2024, which was held at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre. That consultation was based on a collation of the comments which had been received to date and all persons who submitted input were invited to engage.
The Ministry of Energy and Business then further circulated the draft Electric Supply Bill publicly via the above mentioned platforms and then went further to circulate directly to stakeholders inviting their feedback. Those stakeholders included:
- Fair Trading Commission
- Barbados Light and Power Company
- Government Electrical Engineering Department
- Ministry of Transport Works and Maintenance
- Ministry of Environment and Natural Beautification
- Barbados Renewable Energy Agency (BREA)
- Barbados National Oil Company
- Barbados National Terminal Company Limited
- Planning and Development Department
- Electric Light and Power Act Committee
- National Petroleum Corporation
- Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security
- Barbados Agricultural Management Corporation Limited
- Barbados Water Authority
- Ministry of Finance, Economic Affairs and Investment – Finance Division
- Prime Minister’s Office
- The University of the West Indies
- Barbados Statistical Service
- Barbados National Standards Institute
- Barbados Association of Retired Persons
- The Ministry of People Empowerment and the Elderly
- Disaster Emergency Management
- The Ministry of Culture
- SOL/ESSO
- RUBIS
- Barbados Association of Professional Engineers
- The Barbados Bankers Association
- The Barbados Cooperatives League
- Barbados Sustainable Energy Cooperative
- The Bio-energy Group
- The Transport Board
- The Ministry of Finance, Economic Affairs and Investment – Economic Affairs Division
- The Environmental Protection Department
- Airport and Seaport:
- GAIA Inc.
- Barbados Port Inc.
- The Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training
- The Division of Information (for advertising tenders)
- Barbados Automotive Dealers Association
- Alliance Owners of Public Transport Inc.
- Association of Public Transport Operators
- Sanitation Services Authority
- Barbados Community College
- RELP
- USAID
- Renewstable Barbados
- William Caribbean Capital
Consultation and the views of a wide cross section of Barbados were critical due to the pending changes to the electricity sector. But the Ministry then went even further; between March and September 2024, a range of international partners, including development agencies and global energy specialists, were invited to give comments on the draft of the Bill.
As recently as September 2024, additional comments from local and international partners were still being submitted, considered and where appropriate, included in the draft Bill. This has been an exhaustive process of engagement so there can be no justifiable allegation that the development of the Bill has been rushed or less than fully transparent.
The Bill paves the way for Barbados to overcome the technical and regulatory constraints to transitioning an isolated island electricity grid towards 100 per cent renewable energy generation. Moreover, the Bill has been created on the foundation of establishing greater coordination between the key policy, licensing, and regulatory agencies to achieve maximum efficiency, and transparency within the management and regulation of the island’s electricity sector.
After much deliberation and the weighing of all interests as outlined in detail earlier, the least of which is not the taxpayers of Barbados, we have landed on a Bill that reflects our policy position of moving towards 100 per cent renewable energy whilst ensuring the necessary protective measurements and promoting fairness to all.
The Ministry wishes to take this opportunity to extend sincerest gratitude to all the stakeholders and the general public for their participation and input into the development of the Electricity Supply Bill and in the broader work of the Ministry of Energy and Business, which is always collaborative.
Minister of Energy and Business, Senator Lisa Cummins