ILOILO CITY — The Department of Energy (DOE) urged Regional Development Councils (RDCs) around the country to adopt the Philippine Energy Plan (PEP) 2017-2040 in order to secure the country's energy needs over the next three decades.
In an interview at the sidelines of the “Energy 101 for Media” seminar here Wednesday, Assistant Regional Director Carmencita A. Bariso, of DOE’s Energy Policy and Planning Bureau, said they are encouraging RDCs to come up with a resolution supporting the PEP and integrating it to their local plans.
“Like our call for energy efficiency, we want that they have a resolution adopting it and the programs on the national level be customized in the local levels,” she said.
PEP 2017-2040 is a comprehensive roadmap of programs and projects of the energy sector to ensure sustainable, stable, secure, sufficient, accessible and reasonably-priced energy. It has a vision of "A strongly-rooted, comfortable and secure life for Filipinos” by 2040.
Its goals include 100 percent electrification by 2022; technology neutral approach; power to meet demand needs by 2030; LNG needs for anticipated depletion of Malampaya;completion of transmission projects by 2020; affordability, power of choice and transparency; streamlining domestic policy to cut red tape; delivery of PSALM privatization; and more efficient use of energy.
Bariso added that the support of at the local level is needed to strengthen advocacy of these programs in the energy plan. “Energy conservation as a way of life, we want them to have a program on that so that we could attain our goal for energy savings program,” she said,
“Also the use of alternative fuels, we cannot get rid of the fact that we are still energy inefficient at the local level so we hope that the local government unit would slowly shift to energy efficient vehicles like electricity-driven vehicles,” she added.
She notes the huge cooperation in Visayas regions, particularly in Western Visayas. “The level of cooperation with DOE I think on track,” she said.
Meantime, Bariso recognized that the goals included in the PEP are “ambitious targets” but through the ‘E-Power Mo” forums conducted in the different parts of the country, she is confident that the targets will be achieved.
For the renewable energy for example, she said they are targeting an additional 20,000 megawatts, which she described as “huge capacity.” “But through the contribution of the regions in the entire country, I think we could attain that,” she said.
As of the moment, Bariso said they are still in the process of presenting the plans in the different full council meetings of the RDCs in the country. “We hope that they will be able to appreciate, do their part and contribute so that we can attain our targets,” she added.
The PEP 2017-2040 was also presented by Bariso to more than 600 participants from various stakeholders in Western Visayas on Tuesday during the 7th leg of the ‘E-Power Mo’ forum in the city aimed ay empowering Filipinos through informed energy plans and policies. (PNA)
