MANILA -- A ranking member of the House of Representatives on Tuesday lauded the signing of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act, saying the milestone legislation will greatly help the country address its energy woes and make the Philippines an appealing destination for investments in the power sector.
In a statement, Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco, who chairs the House committee on energy, said the measure would lay the foundation for energy efficiency and conservation policy.
“This would ensure the judicious use of the country’s energy resources and promote the development of the utilization of both new and alternative sources of energy-efficient technologies and systems,” said Velasco, the measure’s co-author.
Velasco thanked President Rodrigo Duterte for signing Republic Act 11285, noting that Congress had been trying to pass such measure since the 8th Congress in 1988.
“After three decades of pendency with Congress, we are finally seeing the legislation coming to light. We thank President Duterte for signing this milestone law and making it a reality,” he said.
“The signing of the law also comes at a very crucial time as the country is facing constant threats of unreliable and insufficient power supply that is hurting the people and businesses,” Velasco said.
RA 11285, which was signed by Duterte last April 12, aims to standardize and synchronize energy efficiency and conservation measures on the use of energy efficient technologies in buildings and include energy conserving designs on buildings in the issuance of building permits.
The new law mandates the creation of a National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Plan that defines national targets, details feasible strategies, and imposes a regular monitoring and evaluation system.
Alongside this will be the development and maintenance of a National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Database, where relevant information about energy consumption as well as the application of energy efficient and renewable energy technologies shall be centrally stored.
The measure would also institutionalize these energy efficiency and conservation standards and strategies in local governance through the creation of a Local Energy Efficiency and Conservation Plan and the inclusion of Guidelines on Energy Conserving Design on Buildings in the issuance of building permits.
RA 11285 would also create an Inter-Agency Energy Efficiency and Conservation Committee that will be tasked to provide strategic direction in the implementation of the Government Energy Management Program (GEMP), a program to reduce monthly consumption of electricity and petroleum products by the government.
Velasco said the signing of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act augurs well with the Energy Virtual One-Stop Shop (EVOSS) Act which Duterte signed last March 8.
The EVOSS law (RA 11234) streamlines the permitting process of power generation, transmission and distribution projects to reduce the cost of doing business in the country and encourage investors.
Under RA 11234, prospective power generation, transmission or distribution companies can apply, monitor and receive all the necessary permits, and even pay for charges and fees, through the online platform called EVOSS, cutting down the lengthy permitting process that has turned off investors in the past.
“This administration is laying all the bricks that will ensure the country gets sufficient and reliable power supply and, at the same time, encourage investments for the energy sector to meet the ever-growing demand of the population and the economy,” Velasco said. (PNA)
