Bermuda Electric Light Company

Last updated

Bermuda Electric Light Company Limited (BELCO) is a Bermudian electricity-generating company. It is the country's sole supplier of electricity, operating a generating plant. transmission and distribution systems throughout the territory. It is a subsidiary of Ascendant Group Limited (AG Holdings Limited), together with Bermuda Gas, PureNERGY Renewables, and inVenture Limited.

Contents

BELCO's two generating stations are fueled by heavy fuel oil and diesel, all of which is imported. Oil is piped directly into the central electricity generating plant via a 9-mile 6 inch underground pipeline from the oil docks terminal. Solar and other renewable energy sources are not widely used in Bermuda. In 2009, BELCO used approximately one million barrels of fuel. The import duty on the oil is very high, and electricity rates are very high by world standards. BELCO's maximum generation capacity is 165 MW, produced by diesel engines and gas turbines. [1] The highest peak demand was 122.8 MW, recorded in August 2010. [2] Large commercial organizations use about 40% of electricity produced.

The standard voltage in Bermuda is 120 V and the standard frequency is 60 Hz AC. Flat, two-pronged plugs (Type A) are in use. All US and Canadian appliances work on the island, without voltage converters or adapters. [3]

History

BELCO was incorporated in 1904 as the Bermuda Electric Light, Power & Traction Company (B.E.L.P.&T.), and started to supply electricity in Bermuda on 1 May 1908. The Company purchased its present site on Serpentine Road, Hamilton in 1909 and moved its operations there.

On May 5, 2005, BELCO completed the 20-year development of the East Power Station, officially bringing the last of eight new engines online. At the same time, the Company began working on a new integrated resources plan (IRP) for the next 20 years, taking into account the Island's development and emerging issues, including renewable energy and sustainable development and energy efficiency.

On June 3, 2019 BELCO agreed to be purchased [4] by Algonquin Power and Utilities Corp for approx. US$365 million.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electricity generation</span> Process of generating electrical power

Electricity generation is the process of generating electric power from sources of primary energy. For utilities in the electric power industry, it is the stage prior to its delivery to end users or its storage.

Distributed generation, also distributed energy, on-site generation (OSG), or district/decentralized energy, is electrical generation and storage performed by a variety of small, grid-connected or distribution system-connected devices referred to as distributed energy resources (DER).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ESB Group</span> Irish electric utility

The Electricity Supply Board is a state owned electricity company operating in the Republic of Ireland. While historically a monopoly, the ESB now operates as a commercial semi-state concern in a "liberalised" and competitive market. It is a statutory corporation whose members are appointed by the government of Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electricity sector in India</span> Power generation and distribution

India is the third largest producer of electricity in the world. During the fiscal year (FY) 2022–23, the total electricity generation in the country was 1,844 TWh, of which 1,618 TWh was generated by utilities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grid energy storage</span> Large scale electricity supply management

Grid energy storage is a collection of methods used for energy storage on a large scale within an electrical power grid. Electrical energy is stored during times when electricity is plentiful and inexpensive or when demand is low, and later returned to the grid when demand is high, and electricity prices tend to be higher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peaking power plant</span> Reserved for high demand times

Peaking power plants, also known as peaker plants, and occasionally just "peakers", are power plants that generally run only when there is a high demand, known as peak demand, for electricity. Because they supply power only occasionally, the power supplied commands a much higher price per kilowatt hour than base load power. Peak load power plants are dispatched in combination with base load power plants, which supply a dependable and consistent amount of electricity, to meet the minimum demand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electricity sector in Canada</span>

The electricity sector in Canada has played a significant role in the economic and political life of the country since the late 19th century. The sector is organized along provincial and territorial lines. In a majority of provinces, large government-owned integrated public utilities play a leading role in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity. Ontario and Alberta have created electricity markets in the last decade to increase investment and competition in this sector of the economy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Energy in Japan</span> Overview of the production, consumption, import and export of energy and electricity in Japan

Energy in Japan refers to energy and electricity production, consumption, import and export in Japan. The country's primary energy consumption was 477.6 Mtoe in 2011, a decrease of 5% over the previous year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Energy in the United States</span>

Energy in the United States is obtained from a diverse portfolio of sources, although the majority came from fossil fuels in 2021, as 36% of the nation's energy originated from petroleum, 32% from natural gas, and 11% from coal. Electricity from nuclear power supplied 8% and renewable energy supplied 12%, which includes biomass, wind, hydro, solar and geothermal.

The energy policy of India is to increase the locally produced energy in India and reduce energy poverty, with more focus on developing alternative sources of energy, particularly nuclear, solar and wind energy. Net energy import dependency was 40.9% in 2021-22.

The electricity sector in New Zealand uses mainly renewable energy, such as hydropower, geothermal power and increasingly wind energy. As of 2019, 82% of electricity is generated from renewable sources, making New Zealand one of the countries with the lowest carbon dioxide emissions from electricity generation. Electricity demand grew by an average of 2.1% per year from 1974 to 2010 but decreased by 1.2% from 2010 to 2013.

The electricity sector in Guyana is dominated by Guyana Power and Light (GPL), the state-owned vertically integrated utility. Although the country has a large potential for hydroelectric and bagasse-fueled power generation, most of its 226 MW of installed capacity correspond to thermoelectric diesel-engine driven generators.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Energy policy of Malaysia</span>

The energy policy of Malaysia is determined by the Malaysian Government, which address issues of energy production, distribution, and consumption. The Department of Electricity and Gas Supply acts as the regulator while other players in the energy sector include energy supply and service companies, research and development institutions and consumers. Government-linked companies Petronas and Tenaga Nasional Berhad are major players in Malaysia's energy sector.

Energy in Ethiopia is energy and electricity production, consumption, transport, exportation, and importation in Ethiopia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Energy in Malta</span> Energy production, consumption and import in Malta

Energy in Malta describes energy production, consumption and import in Malta. Malta has no domestic resource of fossil fuels and no gas distribution network, and relies overwhelmingly on imports of fossil fuels and electricity to cover its energy needs. Since 2015, the Malta–Sicily interconnector allows Malta to be connected to the European power grid and import a significant share of its electricity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Energy in Hawaii</span> Overview of energy resources in Hawaii, US

Energy in the U.S. state of Hawaii is produced from a mixture of fossil fuel and renewable resources. Producing energy is complicated by the state's isolated location and lack of fossil fuel resources. The state relies heavily on imports of petroleum. Hawaii has the highest share of petroleum use in the United States, with about 62% of electricity coming from oil in 2017. As of 2021 renewable energy made up 34.5%.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Energy in California</span> Overview of the use of energy in California, U.S.

Energy in California is a major area of the economy of California. California is the state with the largest population and the largest economy in the United States. It is second in energy consumption after Texas. As of 2018, per capita consumption was the fourth-lowest in the United States partially because of the mild climate and energy efficiency programs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Energy in Kenya</span>

This article describes energy and electricity production, consumption, import and export in Kenya. Kenya's current effective installed electricity capacity is 2,651 megawatts (MW), with peak demand of 1,912 MW, as of November 2019. At that time, demand was rising at a calculated rate of 3.6 percent annually, given that peak demand was 1,770 MW, at the beginning of 2018. Electricity supply is mostly generated by renewable sources with the majority coming from geothermal power and hydroelectricity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electricity sector in Hong Kong</span> Electricity sector in Hong Kong, China

Electricity sector in Hong Kong ranges from generation, transmission, distribution and sales of electricity covering Hong Kong. The combustion of coal, natural gas and oil are the main sources of electricity in Hong Kong. The electricity sector contributes 60.4% of Hong Kong's total greenhouse gas emissions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electricity sector in Armenia</span>

The electricity sector of Armenia includes several companies engaged in electricity generation and distribution. Generation is carried out by multiple companies both state-owned and private. In 2020 less than a quarter of energy in Armenia was electricity.

References

  1. "Highlights". Archived from the original on 3 October 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  2. "Generation in Bermuda". Archived from the original on 3 October 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  3. Power plugs and sockets of the World - Bermuda
  4. "AQN Fact Sheet – Bermuda Electric Utility Acquisition".