Government urged to continue push for renewable energy

MANILA, Philippines — Over 100 million Filipinos can expect affordable, available power if the administration remains committed to current energy policies that seek to promote the development and growth of renewable energy (RE) in the country.

This is according to former Department of Energy (DOE) Undersecretary Atty. Jay Layug, who in a speech at the Philippine Power Plant Energy Summit recently said that “with the assumption into office of the Marcos administration and the appointment of DOE Secretary Lotilla and ERC Commissioner Dimalanta, we have seen a dramatic shift in government policies towards renewables.”

According to Layug, a senior partner of Divina Law, the top energy law firm in the country, the administration, in only its first year, has fast-tracked RE programs via decisive steps intended to spur the development of the RE sector.

This includes amendments to the implementing rules and regulations of the Renewable Energy Act of 2008 that would pave the way for the liberalization of foreign ownership in RE investments; the preferential dispatch of registered generating units utilizing RE sources in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM); and the implementation of the Energy Virtual One-stop Shop (EVOSS) Act, which allows prospective energy companies to apply, monitor, receive the permits they need, and pay required charges through the EVOSS’ online platform.

The DOE also recently concluded the second Green Energy Auction Program (GEAP), which seeks to source at least 11GW of new capacities from RE resources, said Layug.

Large-scale hydropower and geothermal, both renewable energy resources, comprise the second biggest contributor in the energy mix of the country. As of 2020, 29% of the installed generating capacity of the Philippines is RE.

Layug also shared the findings of a study by the World Bank Group that stated that the Philippines is ranked fourth among eight emerging OSW markets, with a total technical potential to produce 178GW via OSW resources.

The energy expert likewise highlighted out the potential of OSW resources in the country following the publication in April 2022 of the Philippine OSW Roadmap developed by the DOE together with the World Bank. The study identified six development zones and projected that in a high growth scenario, OSW could provide 14% of the nation’s energy needs by 2040.

Increasing the RE capacity of the country will also be beneficial to its population, the lawyer pointed out, given the volatility of the prices of fossil fuel energy sources such as coal and oil.

“The DOE is in full gear to implement the NREP (National Renewable Energy Program),” said Layug, adding this could translate to next generations of Filipinos with a “bottomless abundance in energy supply.”  

“Let us think of renewable energy not just as a means to increase our energy capacities, but more importantly, to serve the legitimate ends of development,” he stressed.

Organized by Mykar Events, the Philippine Power Plant Energy Summit brought together government representatives, energy players, experts, investment companies, contractors and selected solution providers to address the country’s growing energy needs.