The chief executive of the Regulatory Authority has begun sourcing engineers and other experts to join a sub-committee being formed to address potentially harmful emissions from Belco.

Abayomi Carmichael is seeking input from the private sector as well as universities to make up the team.

However, the RA, the regulator of the energy sector, would not provide further details on the sub-committee, including the criteria set for the selection of its members.

The team is being formed in response to soot and sulphur dioxide emissions being discharged from Belco’s North Power Station, as well as fuel odours.

The Royal Gazette asked the RA which entities had been contacted, what the criteria are for the selection of the those joining the sub-committee, what they will be tasked with, what the timeline is for implementation, and what the intended outcome of the exercise is.

A spokesman for the RA said: “Our mandate centres on transparency and effective decision-making …

“The RA’s chief executive has initiated the process of sourcing engineers and experts from the private sector and educational institutions for the sub-committee dedicated to energy policy matters.

“Criteria for selection have been established and the panel will provide independent advice on energy policy.”

No further information was provided on the questions.

Belco has spent millions of dollars mitigating pollution from the North Power Station since it was commissioned in 2020, but the problems persist.

The issue stems from the station being configured for liquefied natural gas — a fuel that was never granted approval — yet burning heavy fuel oil.

Belco was due to submit a proposal last Friday as part of the next stage of the Integrated Resource Plan, mapping out the country’s potential energy generation for years to come.

The utility is looking to submit a plan for liquefied natural gas to be introduced, as per the June minutes of the Environmental Authority, Bermuda’s emissions regulator.

The RA mentioned as far back as August in the minutes of a meeting that a date was to be set for the first panel committee to take place, and that the sub-committee would include technical officers and members from the technical team at the RA.

Then the RA’s September’s minutes reported: “It was noted that suitably qualified engineers and a community representative would be invited to join the North Power Station Operations Advisory Panel”.

Mark Fields, the chairman of the authority’s board of commissioners, shared news of the planned formation of the sub-committee at a public meeting organised by the Bermuda Clean Air Coalition in October.

He said the RA had reached out to a prestigious university in the United States, which had verbally agreed to assist Bermuda in abating the emissions.

There was also mention in the RA’s August minutes that international funding was being sought from the British Government for a feasibility study on wind power.

The RA was unable to provide an update when asked, other than to say that the selection of the entity that will conduct the study will be determined through a request-for-quote process, which “underscores our commitment to a fair and transparent selection procedure”.

The RA declined to comment on discussions mentioned in the minutes on due payments from a telecommunications provider in receivership, or details mentioned about an internal review.

The minutes had mentioned: “A memorandum was previously circulated to the board in relation to the internal compliance review being carried out by the legal team.”

The RA spokesman said: “We regret that discussions on due payments from a telecommunications provider in receivership and details of an internal compliance review are confidential and cannot be disclosed, in line with our obligation to maintain confidentiality where necessary.”

Finally, the August minutes reported that the RA had received reports from Belco on the island-wide blackout in February and the August brownout out for review.

The Royal Gazette requested information on the reports, but RA did not respond.

The RA said in February that Belco needed to make “robust changes” to how it ensures a reliable energy supply in the future.