Pondering our energy future

Apart from our current corruption and environmental crises, a looming concern is power generation. Certain congressmen gave warnings that the Philippines will face rolling blackouts within three years, possibly in aid of a bill that they authored to revitalize the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, a facility that has been mothballed for decades. Before any thought is given to this, we believe that well-regarded nuclear power specialists should be brought in to evaluate the facility. In France and Belgium, 80% of their national power is provided by nuclear facilities. France has never had an industrial nuclear accident. We recommended communicating with the French government and request them to send a team of specialists to evaluate the Bataan facility. Depending on the outcome of their report, thought should be given to putting the facility under the management of a French power company. At least then we can be assumed that the power plant will be run efficiently and securely. We should not be hasty, we do not want to exchange one potential crisis for an even worse one (a nuclear meltdown).

We possibly face a power crisis reminiscent of Aquino’s and Ramos’ era when the country suffered rolling “brownouts”. These were due to a failure of long-term energy planning by those governments. Will the situation be the same today? Jose S. Alejandro, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vice President for Power and Utilities, announced that nearly 5,000 megawatts of new power is needed over the next two years to sustain demand and prevent power outages. Luzon needs 3,000 megawatts of new power, the Visayas 1,000 megawatts and Mindanao another 1,000. The Visayas and Mindanao regions are already experiencing brownouts. It is sad that in the 21^st century, we still cannot supply the power needs of our population. The Department of Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes, has said that because of the current economic crisis the power crisis may be averted for one extra year due to falling demand. From what we understand, it takes at least three years to put new power plants into operation. So, if not for the economic crisis, we would be facing serious power outages today. As it is, depending on how efficiently and cleanly our government can operate, the threat of a power crisis sooner or later cannot be ruled out. How can the Philippines seriously market itself as an international business destination when our power grid is on the verge of being overloaded? This is the perfect opportunity to develop and enact a long-term sustainable and green energy plan. By sustainable and green we are referring to power generation that is not based on traditional and environmentally toxic options like coal. This is a country blessed with an abundance of natural resources. The goal of the Philippine government should be to develop energy production that is completely independent from outside sources. Our country has the potential for wind, solar, geothermal, natural gas, tidal, deep-sea current, biofuels, and hydro-electric energy production. Even nuclear power can be considered as an alternative source in the same way that countries like Japan, France, Belgium and Germany have been benefited. If we have the ability to develop a sustainable and environmentally-friendly national power grid that does not threaten or destroy our natural resources, why are we not doing so? By developing green and sustainable energy sources, we can reduce our dependence on foreign energy and become a self-sustaining nation.

In his book, Hot, Flat and Crowded, Thomas L. Friedman (a three-time Pulitzer prize winner) discussed in-depth the need for a comprehensive and green energy plan in the United States and globally. The title provocatively refers to the world becoming hotter (climate change), flatter (globalization) and more crowded (the population explosion); a dangerous combination. He writes, “…the convergence of hot, flat, and crowded is tightening energy supplies, intensifying the extinction of plants and animals, deepening energy poverty…and accelerating climate change. How these interwoven global trends are addressed will determine a sustained quality of life for mankind in the twenty-first century.”

Our politicians and our press appear more concerned with Charter change, grandstanding and self-interest than solving these issues. It’s about time they change their attitudes and focus on the more urgent concerns of today.