The PH Government Should Invest in Renewable Energy

With the skyrocketing price of fuels affecting everyone in the country and driving prices of basic commodities further up, the Department of Energy should make it a top priority to shift the Philippines to more sustainable and clean renewable energy.

Just last week, The National Coalition of Filipino Consumers (NCFC) and the Power for People Coalition (P4P) were urging President Marcos to appoint an expert to the position.

NCFC’s spokesperson BenCyrus Ellorin even said that the position “is so crucial to be played upon by power brokers who are pushing for business as usual in the energy sector.”

The Philippines is vulnerable to the effects of climate change, Ellorin says.  “The country needs someone who understands the urgency of energy transition from carbon-intensive fossil fuels to clean, affordable, and efficient renewable energy,”

The incoming DOE Secretary would inherit issues with high power rates. P4P’s convenor, Gerry Arances said that “The next DOE Secretary must be pro-consumer. Once appointed, Lotilla or any other nominee will deal with astronomically high power rates for consumers due to our reliance on fossil fuels such as coal and gas, especially now that we see the country being transformed into a natural gas hub that locks us with high power rates for decades to come.”

The past administration’s Department of Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi was criticized by advocacy groups for him being “very ineffective in promoting renewable energy in the Philippines that it does not matter who gets appointed as DOE secretary.” according to the Institute for Power Sector Economics (IPSEC) Director Dave Tauli.

Advocacy groups are pushing for Mindanao to be able to get its full 100% electricity from renewable energy power plants by the year 2030.

Currently, Mindanao gets 80% of its electricity from coal-fired power plants. In 2021, in the Philippines, coal-fired power plants make up 47.6% of the energy, while 18% came from other fossil fuels, and 10.7% are from gas.

For a country rich with natural resources, the Philippines is brewing with so much potential for renewable energy.

Gerry Arances also said that “The outgoing Duterte administration, through the policies of DOE Secretary Alfonso Cusi, chose to embrace dependence on imported fossil gas in years to come instead of tapping locally abundant renewable energy sources like solar and wind, to the detriment of consumers. Mr. Marcos should know how unwise it will be to continue on that path.”

With high prices of fuel and electricity and the promise of a new administration, the DOE should focus on investing in renewable energy plants and extract the full potential for clean and sustainable energy for our country.

Source: Rappler, Inquirer