Additional power facilities needed – DOE Usec Aguilos

CEBU, Philippines - The construction of more power facilities would definitely support the increasing demand of electricity in the country, according to an official of the Department of Energy.

With this, the government has partnered with the private sector on the possibility of having additional power facilities.

DOE undersecretary Raul Aguilos, who spoke before the Energy Forum yesterday organized by the Visayan Electric Company, said that there is a need to understand that building additional po-wer facilities is a definite solution, a reason why constant partnerships with the private sector are being built in the process.

“While this is the long-term goal, we must also have short-term plans to address present needs. While investing on power plants are for big players, conservation of energy is a method by which all of us can contribute,” Aguilos said in the forum attended by over 75 companies in Cebu who are mostly big clients of  VECO.

Aguilos added that DOE has an ongoing information, education and communication campaigns to provide awareness on how the public can conserve energy in the smallest ways possible.

During the forum dubbed as “A sharing of best practices across industries,” representatives from Marco Polo Hotel and SM City Cebu shared the energy efficiency and conservation efforts adopted in their respective companies such as the use of LED lights, conversion of split-type airconditioning units to centralized air handling units, among others.

Sebastian Lacson, chief executive officer of VECO, is likewise urging those who have extra financial capacity to shift to solar panel as a means to lower the cost of their electricity.

VECO, in partnership with Enfinity, is making a big leap as they push for solar energy usage at home and in businesses among their customers.

VECO said that by using solar energy, this does not only protect the environment but also helps conserve electricity.  (FREEMAN)