Barbados’ ambitious goal to shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy has hit a major roadblock, according to a new U.S.-led study that has sparked sharp debate among local energy experts over the root causes of delays.
The study, conducted by U.S.-based research firm MarketScale, pinpointed deep-rooted structural and regulatory barriers that have slowed the island’s transition, noting that long-standing industry power dynamics have reinforced the status quo rather than driving meaningful change. Barbados still relies heavily on costly imported fossil fuels to power its national electricity grid, the research found. It also highlighted that two key players — the private utility Barbados Light and Power Company Ltd. and state-owned Barbados National Energy Company — hold structurally dominant positions in the local energy market, blocking out alternative models and underutilized renewable technologies including onshore wind, pumped-storage hydro, and biofuels made from locally sourced sargassum and sugarcane bagasse.
The findings, first reported by Barbados TODAY on Friday, drew contrasting reactions from two leading local energy industry figures. Trevor Browne, a veteran electrical engineer and former president of the Barbados Association of Professional Engineers (BAPE), publicly backed the MarketScale analysis, arguing that bureaucratic and structural gridlock has effectively stalled the entire transition.
Browne pushed back against claims that institutional resistance from incumbent energy providers is not a primary barrier, a position held by Aidan Rogers, former president of the Barbados Renewable Energy Association (BREA). Rogers dismissed the MarketScale study as lacking both contextual accuracy and local nuance, arguing that Barbados has already taken significant steps to curb the influence of long-standing market incumbents. Instead, Rogers blamed under-resourced regulatory bodies and poorly defined intervenor processes for the slow pace of change, noting that delays in licensing, tariff setting, planning approval and regulatory decision-making are the main drags on progress.
But Browne rejected that framing, saying the MarketScale study offers one of the most accurate breakdowns of the systemic challenges holding back Barbados’ energy transformation. Six years after the government launched its landmark 2019–2030 National Energy Policy (BNEP), Browne emphasized, the country still has no detailed public implementation plan outlining how the shift from fossil fuels to renewables will be rolled out. He pointed to high-profile unresolved examples, including a 2022 rate hike application submitted by Barbados Light and Power that remains pending as of 2026, with consumers stuck on temporary interim rates with no clarity on when a final decision will be reached.
Transitioning the entire national energy system while keeping core services operational is an unprecedented challenge that requires overcoming major technical, administrative, financial, political, social and educational hurdles, Browne explained. He aligned with the MarketScale conclusion that incumbent providers actively resist shifts that would disrupt their existing market power, arguing that the current sector structure continues to dictate the slow pace and conservative direction of the transition.
Browne also noted that the study identifies multiple underpromoted viable alternative energy approaches that have been sidelined to protect the status quo. “Concepts such as cooperative ownership, the use of biofuels such as bagasse and sargassum, and of pumped storage – rather than battery storage, appear to have been discarded due mainly to various pressures applied in order to maintain their status quo, by the incumbent, dominant players,” he said.
The veteran engineer stressed that fundamental planning, structural and regulatory issues remain unaddressed six years after the BNEP was adopted, which is why the transition has ground to a halt. “Such a complex engineering and management undertaking as the BNEP can never be implemented successfully in the absence of very exact and detailed professional preparation, planning, and strategising being put into place upfront. No such planning has ever been shared with the public or with the various stakeholders,” he said.
Unresolved core issues range from sector ownership structures and regulatory frameworks to financing models and legal provisions, Browne added. He also warned of a growing “photovoltaic dead end,” where hundreds of millions in private solar investment has been effectively trapped because the national grid lacks sufficient energy storage capacity to absorb the extra power generated. The ongoing uncertainty around the unresolved rate case and the absence of a clear national strategy has also spooked potential investors, he noted.
To move the process forward, Browne is calling on the Barbadian government to treat the energy transition as the large-scale, complex engineering project it is, and hand oversight to experienced professional administrators. He proposed establishing a multi-disciplinary panel of engineering, financial, regulatory and business experts to develop a comprehensive overarching framework and draft a formal public national energy transformation plan. Additional recommendations include updating outdated energy legislation and regulatory rules, appointing a dedicated professional engineering or project management entity to oversee day-to-day implementation, and ensuring full public and stakeholder engagement and education throughout the process.
Browne emphasized that the success of the BNEP is critical to securing long-term energy reliability for Barbados, and that industry stakeholders stand ready to support the government in delivering on the policy’s goals.