Earlier this month the Government tabled its Energy White Paper a nine year plan to help guide Bermuda in taking a sustainable approach toward the production and consumption of electricity. Although the Government has played a key role in the creation of this plan the nascent renewable energy industry itself has had and will have just as important a role to play to ensure the Plan’s objectives are achieved.To ensure the renewable energy industry succeeds in this role, the Bermuda Sustainable Energy Council (BSEC) was recently established to provide a collective voice for the energy conservation, renewable and alternative energy industries on the Island. In acting as a single collective voice for the industry BSEC hopes to foster and advance the interests of those engaged in or connected with the renewable energy, alternate energy and/or energy efficiency industries in Bermuda.Its primary objective is to encourage the efficient use of energy and the development and use of energy from renewable and/or efficient alternate sources. By achieving this objective, it hopes to help reduce the pressure on finite energy resources, provide a sound basis for meeting future energy demand of the Island’s residents, and in the process combat climate change and increase Bermuda’s energy security thus helping Government and the Island succeed in the implementation of the Energy White Paper.BSEC’s mandate is also to seek to achieve a better understanding of the various branches of the sustainable energy industry and to help improve and bring about a greater uniformity in the customs, usages, methods and practices of those engaged in the industry. In this regard BSEC seeks to continue to build better relationships with the Bermuda Department of Energy, the Bermuda Energy Commission and the Department of Planning to help ensure not only the successful implementation of present and future policy and legislation under the Energy White Paper but to help develop safe, practical and cost-effective means of implementing renewable energy systems throughout the Island.BSEC’s future work will also include advocating and encouraging the creation of a national standard of qualifications for all industry contractors. This is to help promote safe construction operations in order to protect industry workers and to ensure the general public, receive the highest quality of workmanship. This will be achieved through the continuous improvement and advancement of contractor employee skills through apprenticeship schemes, training programmes, management courses and on-the-job training.Part of BSEC’s mandate will also be to disseminate information on the advancement in sustainable energy technologies to the public and to make future recommendations to the Government that will help ensure the industry and related policy and legislation remains progressive and current.