Perez named renewable energy czar; Ducut permanent ERC head

MANILA, Philippines - President Arroyo has appointed former investment banker and Energy Secretary Vincent Perez to head the National Renewable Energy Board, a new body created under the Renewable Energy Act.

The new post will suit Perez well considering that his present endeavors are mostly geared towards the promotion of renewable energy.

Shortly before the Renewable Energy Act was signed into law last year, the President designated Perez as her special envoy on renewable energy.

While Perez was appointed Energy Secretary from 2001 to 2005, his career was mostly in the field of investment banking and debt restructuring for several big multinational firms.

He is currently the founder and chief executive officer of Alternergy Partners, a power company developing renewable energy in emerging countries in Asia. He is also co-founder and chairman of Merritt Partners, an advisory firm assisting energy companies with their energy investments in Asia.

Perez also sits in the board of several companies including Nido Petroleum, Energy Development Corp., SM Investments, and ST Telemedia.

He also has investments in Northwind Power, the first commercial wind farm in Southeast Asia.

Perez is also chairman of the World Wildlife Fund-Philippines, the Malampaya Foundation and the Philippine Solar Car Challenge.

He expressed optimism on the potential of the Renewable Energy Act in providing a long-term sustainable program for the government in this field.

Perez said the country’s target of attaining 60 percent energy self-sufficiency by 2010 is now achievable with the new law.

Among the mandates of the National Renewable Energy Board are to recommend specific actions to facilitate the implementation of the National Renewable Energy Program (NREP), monitor and review the implementation of the NREP and oversee and monitor the utilization of the Renewable Energy Trust Fund created under the Renewable Energy Act.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita also announced the appointment of Zenaida Ducut as the permanent chairperson of the Energy Regulatory Commission.

Ducut, a former Pampanga congresswoman, was appointed by the President to the post in July last year but only in an acting capacity.

Ermita pointed out that Ducut’s term would expire on July 2015.