July 22, 2024
While the unified Philippine grid highlighted by the President in this year’s SONA holds promise for underserved communities in the short run, it falls short of addressing the broader energy crisis.
To truly advance energy security and climate resilience, we implore the President to:
As a domestic resource, renewable energy shields the country from global market price fluctuations, making electricity more affordable for Filipinos. The government needs to further unlock the country’s huge potential for renewable energy.
The compelling benefits and vast opportunities of renewable energy are already evident in the country. Participants in the government’s Green Energy Option Program who have switched to 100% renewable power sources are experiencing substantial cost reductions of 10% to 40% on their electricity bills.
Fossil fuels and nuclear energy are not viable long-term solutions for the Philippines. Coal, an expensive import, and fossil gas, reliant on foreign supply, expose us to price volatility.
Nuclear power plants will not see the light of day in this administration because it takes too long to build and will not also offer lower power rates, aside from the additional burden of handling radioactive nuclear waste.
Our current centralized, baseload-oriented system is ill-equipped to handle fluctuating energy demands. The country needs to transition towards a distributed and decentralized energy system where variable renewable energy capacity can supplement our main interconnected grid.
To maximize renewable energy’s potential, we must expand transmission infrastructure and create a supportive policy environment. This includes streamlined permitting processes, sustainable procurement practices, and incentives for renewable energy projects.
In 2022, the President said that the use of renewable energy is at the top of his administration’s climate agenda. In 2023, he pronounced renewable energy as the way forward.
We urge the President to stay true to this vision and implement concrete plans and actions to make it a reality. We call on him to address the growing demands of the Filipino people by charting a path toward clean, reliable, and affordable power through renewable energy.
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