Mindanaotoday.com | Renewable energy should be key factor in next DOE chief appointment
By: Jigger Jerusalem
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Having a preference for the renewable energy must be a key factor that must be given due consideration in President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s appointment of the new Department of Energy (DOE) secretary.
In a statement, the energy consumer advocacy group Power for People Coalition (P4P) said the next DOE chief’s stance on renewable energy should be the “primary factor that the new administration should take into account” in the selection process, and not their standing with generation companies and distribution utilities.
As of this writing, the new administration has yet to announce as who will head the DOE, but news reports have already floated the name of Agnes Devanadera, the current Energy Regulatory Commission chairperson.
P4P made the call as Southeast Asian nations continue to embrace the use of fossil gas, also known as natural gas, and its cooled form liquefied natural gas (LNG) in their transition away from coal.
And like its regional neighbors, the Philippines faces the challenge of a rapidly growing population and growing energy demand, according to a May 12, 2022 report posted on the website Energy Tracker Asia.
“What do developing countries like the Philippines need? Affordable, reliable, and sustainable electricity. With the war in Ukraine, we see an exacerbation of already rising prices for fossil gas,” said Gerry Arances, P4P convenor.
He said the outgoing Duterte administration, through the policies of Cusi, chose to embrace dependence on imported fossil gas in years to come instead of tapping locally abundant renewable energy sources like solar and wind, to the detriment of consumers.
“[President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr.] should know how unwise it will be to continue on that path,” Arances added.
The P4P convenor said that the effects of the country’s ill-considered reliance on fossil fuels is now evident, with rising inflation and shortages in many goods brought about by skyrocketing fuel costs.
Arances said that the effects of the country’s ill-considered reliance on fossil fuels is now evident, with rising inflation and shortages in many goods brought about by skyrocketing fuel costs.
“Every administration said that they want to secure energy independence for the Philippines. But their actions belied their words, because every administration chose fossil fuels – then coal and now fossil gas – and consumers are now left with electricity bills they cannot afford,” he said.
The new DOE secretary, he added, should have a proven track record in advancing renewable energy against political pressure from vested interests who stand to profit at the expense of consumers.
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