PNoy: Renewables will supply more of PHL’s power soon

(Updated 2:00 am Dec. 3) President Benigno Aquino III on Thursday expressed confidence that renewable sources of energy — such as hydro, solar, biomass, ocean and wind power — will supply an increasing amount of the country’s energy demand over the next 10 years. Speaking at the Renewable Energy Conference and Expo 2010 in Makati City, Aquino said that biomass, solar and wind energy in particular “will account for more than a third of the country's total energy demand" within the next decade. Nursing a cold and speaking with a hoarse voice, the President also said that within the next 20 years, the country will become the world’s top producer of geothermal energy, even as its hydropower capacity will double. These goals, he said, were only consistent with the country’s National Renewable Energy Program (NREP) that aims to increase, within the next 10 years, the contribution of renewable energy (RE) to the energy mix—to a capacity equivalent to 10 million barrels of oil equivalent (MBOE). The NREP was established by the Renewable Energy Act (Republic Act No. 9513), which was passed in 2008. Admitting that the country’s power situation was “at a critical juncture" — where high power demand, retirement of power plants, and the absence of investments in new energy infrastructure in the recent years have combined to make the country’s power supply unreliable — Aquino vowed to intensify the development of RE sources in a determined bid to reduce the country’s dependence on an “increasingly unreliable" power supply. He also noted that the country has made some progress in cutting emissions and expanding RE, but more work needs to be done. More than 10 percent of the country's electricity requirement is already supplied by hydropower generation, he noted. In fact, the Philippines is currently second only to the United States as the largest supplier of geothermal energy in the world, he said. "The natural potential bestowed upon our country is impressive, but there is work to be done so that these resources can be harnessed well," he added. RE law The Renewable Energy Conference was the biggest gathering of RE stakeholders since the Renewable Energy Act was passed in 2008. The law, which was passed in a bid to pursue the more aggressive exploration, development and utilization of the country’s RE resources, came as a response to the growing challenge of balancing energy security and an increasing demand for power with the need to protect health and the environment and address climate change issues. The law’s passage aimed to increase the country’s RE capacities through increased investments and activities in the renewable sector. It was also enacted to help move the country closer to its goals of attaining energy self-sufficiency, environmental sustainability and developing local communities. R.A No. 9513 also seeks to institutionalize a renewable portfolio standard (RPS) system, in which electricity suppliers will source a minimum percentage of their energy supply from renewable sources. The RPS is complemented by a feed-in tariff system that ensures the priority grid connection, purchase, and transmission of electricity generated from renewable sources. To strengthen compliance with the RPS, the renewable energy market (REM) is integrated into the wholesale electricity spot market. Filipino power consumers contribute through a Green Energy Option, a program that allows them to choose RE resources to meet their energy requirements The RE conference was held to examine the progress made, the impacts gained, and the challenges that remain since the passage of the law. Susdev ingredient In his speech before senior policy-makers of the renewable energy industry from across the spectrum of government, industry, civil society, academe, international financial institutions, multilateral agencies, international organizations, and research institutions, Aquino described energy as an essential ingredient in sustainable development. “The lack of access to modern energy services is a drawback to economic and social development," he said. “Without energy, government is hampered from delivering services for basic human needs such as clean water, health, shelter and education," Aquino said. Providing energy to households is vital to meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), he also said. Private sector cooperation Saying that the shift to renewables was a hard task for the government to undertake alone, the President said he is seeking the cooperation of the private sector. Since most of the RE sources are located outside of urban centers, he said, the government would develop the sources in these rural areas, and use such development as a tool to expand development opportunities in rural areas. “With the help of private sector and funding institutions, we shall endeavor to take RE to our most isolated communities," he said. He promised to give “incentives and guarantees as needed" to the private sector interested in RE development. "We are here to work together and not against each other. We will give you incentives and guarantees as needed, within a framework that takes into consideration our mutual desire for a win-win solution for all parties," he told audience of the conference. Last Saturday, local members of the international environmental group Greenpeace urged Aquino to become an “RE champion" by committing to increase the use of clean energy sources in the country to 50 percent by 2020. (See: Aquino urged to become ‘renewable energy champion’) ‘A bit under the weather’ Despite the fact that the cold December weather had affected him, the President still chose to speak at the opening of the conference. Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said the President was “a bit under the weather" but that he did not need a doctor’s checkup. Presidential Communications Operations Secretary Herminio Coloma also signaled to reporters that Aquino had a slight fever. Aquino himself confirmed this in a text message to reporters. “It is just a cold and an upset stomach," he said. However, Aquino quickly left the venue and refused to be interviewed by the media—the second straight day that the President did not open up to an ambush interview. On Wednesday, he also avoided media interviews during the inauguration of IBM facilities at the UP-Ayala Technohub in Quezon City.—Jesse Edep/KBK/DM/JV