EDC bats for geothermal energy over coal
Energy Development Co. is pushing for the replacement of coal-fired power plants with geothermal plants as base load facilities or those that provide supply round the clock, amid efforts to address risk of climate change from electricity generation.
Miguel S. De Vera, head of strategic initiatives, legal and regulatory office at EDC, said in a statement the energy sector was the greatest contributor to climate change, with almost 61 percent of all carbon emissions worldwide coming from electricity production and industrial processes.
De Vera participated in the 2019 State of Nature Assessment or “Green Sona” organized by Green Convergence together with the Forest Foundation Philippines held recently in Palawan.
“Even if we take into account other sectors that emit carbon and other greenhouse gases, as much as 93 percent of total emissions can already be addressed with the singular act of moving toward renewable energy sources,” he said.
The EDC official noted that, of the various sources of energy being used across the world, coal-fired power plants are the single largest contributor to emissions.
De Vera said that, in the Philippines, coal continues to comprise more than half of the country’s energy mix and is largely seen as the base load power of choice due to continued perceptions of cheaper costs.
“This is a wrong notion because the tradeoff with coal is permanent and irreversible damage to our environment and to our overall health and well-being, as well as to the future of our natural resources,” he said.
“The Philippines should join the global pivot toward cleaner energy sources and do our share in contributing to the fight against worldwide climate change,” he added.
De Vera said geothermal energy—one of EDC’s renewable energy platforms—remains the base load power of choice for energy experts because of its reliable and stable nature.
“Geothermal is a pioneering energy source that played a big role in saving our nation from economic and political turmoil in the 1970s,” he said. “It is what will save us from the threats of climate change today and in the future.” —RONNEL W. DOMINGO
