To the people of Devonshire North West, and to my fellow Bermudians questioning the pace of affordability…
Affordability is not abstract. It decides if lights stay on, if a child studies, if a business survives. Every week I’m asked: “What is actually changing?”
My reply: “The work is ongoing, and so is the resistance to change. Since my appointment as Minister of Home Affairs, I’ve advanced policy reforms that tackle the drivers of our cost of living: imports, energy, telecommunications, consumer protection, and regulatory equity. I live your reality; I rent, buy groceries, and pay the same bills. My priorities are grounded in delivering tangible relief in the areas of: electricity and connectivity ensuring they are advanced with fair pricing as preconditions for customer dignity.
The pace isn’t fast enough. “Business as usual” is entrenched. Some resist. Others hope you tire. My purpose is determined: good governance rooted in people‑first policies and prices. New technology means nothing if the people are left behind.
While the essentials of life were once listed as food, water, and shelter. Today, electricity, telecommunications, and access to information are also essential. These utilities are the threads that bind our families, our economy, and our democracy. Access must be equitable.
Before we prioritise any one sector for relief, we must prioritise the people. Bermuda is small; our path must fit our scale, geography, and needs. Our systems must be sustainable and also resilient.
Our Energy Future
Energy is both technical and human; equal access is justice. Behind every kilowatt is a family balancing a budget and a business determining viability. Debate about our energy future continues. The role of imported fuels. The push for renewables. The realities of environmental impact. The true costs to the customers.
The Integrated Resource Plan sets a path, but key questions remain:
● Who has evaluated the performance of technologies deployed to date?
● What were the findings?
● Who has conducted an analysis of our infrastructure and its capacity to support increased technology adoption?
● How will new technologies increase cost?
Those answers should guide any recalibration.
Recognising the government’s role in policy, I became aware that the government’s energy policy was out of date. And that part, we must accept.
Noting the aggressive transition, devoid of the implications on the people it seeks to serve, in August, I recommended to the regulator, a pause. As it should be reminded, the Government sets policy intent; the regulator operates independently. This is a reset: learn from what worked and what didn’t, including all stakeholders, and ground future plans in today’s reality. Our transition must cut emissions, lower burdens, secure access, protect stability, and build your trust. Neither pillar singularly advanced without due consideration of its unintended consequences on the other.
Workforce Competence
To bring people on the journey, our workforce must be prepared for the transition. This removes reliance on external expertise; electricians, solar installers, energy auditors, battery technicians, grid operators, data specialists, supervisors, inspectors, and project managers. Before forging ahead with change at scale, we must equip Bermudians with the skills to build and maintain these systems. This is how resources remain at home, show tangible investment in our people, deliver lower bills and better service.
Standards and System Readiness
We need a complete, modern standards framework to ensure safety, quality, and confidence:
● Grid Assessments and plans to reduce waste.
● Up‑to‑date interconnection rules for solar, storage, microgrids and new technologies.
● Clear performance and warranty standards for equipment sold on island.
● Strong installation codes and inspection protocols.
● A transparent service‑quality code that links rate approvals to measurable outcomes aligned to our agreed transition.
These guardrails protect households and give credibility to our competence to prospective investors.
Connectivity to Advance Dignity
Telecommunications is essential to education, healthcare, commerce, and community. When the internet is the gateway to opportunity; equitable access becomes a public duty. So, how do we protect customers when costs become overwhelming? Only through people-first policies and responsible regulation.
Innovation and the pace that we evolve, must bring residents along the journey. Where markets fall short, the regulation must uphold equity standards. Who does it serve to deploy technology that only increases the energy burden on its customers?
Fairness as a National Value
Progress is a moral measure. Social and economic justice are inseparable from good governance. Complex systems can improve; but only together. Though a Government Minister, I am a mother, and a Bermudian. I believe that good governance, on behalf of the people, is shared.
This requires courageous regulators, responsible businesses and engaged citizens.
Together we can build reliable, fair, and affordable systems. Critical services that are required to advance the best of who we are. To every electricity, mobile, and broadband customer; To the single parent balancing bills; and To the senior choosing between groceries and data; This is the work on your behalf. It will continue, with urgency, with honesty, and with you at the centre.
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