DoE seeks help in mapping new energy sources

The Department of Energy (DoE) plans to seek the help of multilateral agencies like the Asian Development Bank and US Agency for International Development in identifying potential sources of renewable energy.

On the sidelines of the 7th Asia Clean Energy Forum Thursday, Energy Undersecretary Jose M. Layug Jr. said the ADB had included the Philippines on the list of countries where it could extend help in mapping wind resources.

The DoE had also sought the assistance of the USAID in identifying areas where biomass facilities can be put up.

According to Layug, the government needs to secure accurate and updated resource data to guide its development programs.

“With more meaningful data, investors can submit a better work program to the DoE,” Layug said.

The updated data will likewise help investors in their assessment of the viability of renewable energy projects.

“In the development of resources, the most important factor is data… and getting the data is not cheap. We’re lucky because for renewable energy, a lot of multilateral funding agencies have been offering technical assistance, not just to the Philippines but to a lot of countries in Asia,” he said.

“ADB has volunteered to provide the DoE with technical assistance for a wind resource assessment and we are reviewing the proposal,” he said.

As to the proposal to USAID, Layug said that discussions are still ongoing.

For solar energy, the DoE is still scouting for another multilateral agency that can help in resource mapping.

For hydro resources, the Japan International Cooperation Agency has completed its own resource assessment, and this has become the basis for the planned bidding of contracts to explore and develop some 50 hydro blocks by the third quarter of the year.