ILOILO City – Sixty-eight renewable energy (RE) projects will help make Western Visayas energy sufficient.
These include hydropower (24), geothermal (one), onshore wind (12), offshore wind (17), and solar (14) with a combined potential capacity of 14,245 megawatts, according to the Department of Energy (DOE).
Twenty-nine of these are already done and operating with an installed capacity of 708 megawatts, said DOE division chief Engr. Gaspar Escobar Jr.
Escobar was among those who participated in yesterday’s 2023 Investment Forum for Regional Energy at Marriot Hotel here spearheaded by the Regional Development Council (RDC), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), DOE, and other government agencies.
The RDC focuses on these RE projects as part of its “Energy Transition Chapter of the Western Visayas Regional Development Plan 2023-2028.”
Western Visayas is one of the regions actively pushing for renewable energy projects as part of the National Renewable Energy Program (NREP).
The region was 28 percent into transitioning to renewable energy as of 2021, so less is needed to reach the 35 percent target in 2030, according to Energy undersecretary Rowena Cristina Guevara.
The NREP 2020-2040 sets a target of at least 35 percent RE share in the power generation mix by 2030 and to increase it to 50 percent by 2040.
Meanwhile, in his video message during the RDC-6 Second Quarter Regular Meeting held alongside with the forum, Energy secretary Raphael P. M. Lotilla took cognizance of the recent power interruptions and fluctuations in Western Visayas.
He emphasized that the situation calls for both the national government led by the DOE, the Energy Regulatory Commission, the local government units, and energy stakeholders to support the plans and programs of the entire energy chain, from resource development to power generation, transmission and distribution, with an overall objective of transitioning to a clean energy future with a robust interconnection of energy facilities.
“Part of the vision of the country’s energy future is described in the National Renewable Energy Program 2020-2040. Harmonizing the NREP 2020-2040 and the Western Visayas Strategic Energy Framework is a must,” Lotilla stressed.
The 2023 Investment Forum for Regional Energy brought together key players in the energy transition including development partners, renewable energy investors, contractors, financial institutions and other stakeholders to create a strong network of international and local stakeholders that will collaborate the national government’s goal of transitioning to a clean energy future.
Escobar said the DOE continues to study programs and policies for the high integration of renewable energy in the power mix./PN
