Gov’t urged to speed up rollout of RE projects

Nearly six years since the passage of the Renewable Energy Law of 2008, renewable energy (RE) developers are still urging the government to fast-track wind, solar, hydro, biomass and ocean power projects to energize disaster-prone areas and stabilize electricity rates.

RE projects would have ensured electricity supply in calamity areas and helped curb the country’s dependence on imported fossil fuel for power plants, making them less vulnerable to price spikes, said the Renewable Energy Developers Caucus (REDC).

Power generation cost has become a controversial topic since it was reported that Manila Electric Co. sought to hike its charges by a record P4.15 per kilowatt-hout (kWh). The Philippines’ largest power retailer wants to pass on the charges to consumers in three installments starting this December.

“Imagine if a million homes in Metro Manila had solar rooftops,” REDC convenor for solar and Solar Alliance founder Tetchi Capellan said via text message. With 500 watts per roof, installed capacity would be 5MW. This would have eased Meralco’s need to source its supply from the volatile Wholesale Electricity Spot Market and aided consumers already burdened with rising commodity prices.

The Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded wind projects with a combined capacity of 1,753.5 MW, some 482.7 MW of solar projects, about 2,806 MW of hydro power projects, 111.6 MW of biomass projects, and a 5-MW ocean power project.