Belize National Energy Policy 2023.

The National Energy Policy lays down strategies for the effective management of the energy sector, social and economic development through the energy sector and other cross-cutting sectors, and improvement of the energy sector's contribution to achieving Belize's Updated Nationally Determined Contributions. The overall objective of the policy is to deliver a sustainable, secure, and affordable energy future for Belize.
The Department of Energy will be empowered, and will be responsible for overseeing the drafting of energy policy and related legislation; coordination of research; integrated energy resource planning, and contingency planning for the total energy sector; monitoring of energy policy implementation; data collection and reporting.monitoring of planning and policy for the efficiency and economic dispatch of energy; liaison with the procurement agency for major energy infrastructure projects; coordination with cross-sectoral agencies or committees on energy; and liaison with the regulatory body, regional and international energy agencies, and current and potential investors. The Department of Energy will be led by a Chief Energy Officer with authority synonymous with the Chief Environmental Officer, Chief Education Officer, or Chief Forestry Officer. Energy management will be strengthened by improving access to energy information.
Social and economic development will be stimulated by reducing the expenditures on primary energy services; lowering energy demand and, more specifically, energy intensity; conducting feasibility studies for hydroelectricity and indigenous fuel sources; facilitating further transition to indigenous energy sources; and improving access to basic and modern energy services. Regulations will be developed to enforce the labelling standards in the Energy Efficiency Labelling Scheme National Procedures Manual. Biofuels projects will be promoted to reduce consumption of imported fossil fuels. Waste-to-Energy projects will also be promoted to generate electricity using methane emitted from sanitary landfills. Access to energy services will be improved to unlock opportunities for adding economic value to those unserved communities by creating local employment opportunities, improving livelihoods, reducing pressure on urban migration, and improving opportunities for women and children.
The Ministry of Public Utilities, Energy, Logistics, and E-Governance will collaborate with the Department of Forestry and the Department of the Environment to meet Updated Nationally Determined Contribution targets by developing and promoting a government incentive program for key sectors’ contributions to emission reduction goals financed by climate funds, and developing an emissions tracking dashboard that keeps all ministries, international agencies, the media, and other key stakeholders updated on the level of emissions as frequently as possible.