A bill that would establish a corporation dedicated to advancing the renewable energy (RE) industry in the Philippines has been introduced in the House of Representatives.
According to a report by BusinessWorld, Pangasinan Representative Maria Rachel J. Arenas filed House Bill No. 9535, which looks to aims to expedite the development of renewable energy sources for achieving energy self-reliance through sustainable strategies.
The proposed Philippine Renewable Energy Corporation would be entrusted to drive research, development, utilization, manufacturing, sales, marketing, distribution, and commercial application of renewable energy.
Concurrently, the bill proposes the dissolution of the Philippine National Oil Company Renewables Corp. (PNOC RC), transferring its powers and functions to the newly proposed Philippine Renewable Energy Corporation.
The corporation is mandated to conduct exploration and development of renewable energy sources nationwide, including the construction and operation of renewable and hybrid energy generation facilities.
These facilities will be strategically placed in the Small Power Utilities Group (SPUG) and other underserved areas, collaborating with electric cooperatives or the National Power Corp.
The corporation’s leadership will include a board of directors, with the ex-officio chairman, president, and chief executive officer appointed by the President of the Philippines.
Representative Arenas underscores the necessity to diminish the Philippines’ reliance on imported fossil fuels and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change.
Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian echoes this sentiment, emphasizing the urgency of an “energy transition measure” to phase out coal, and advocates for the approval of Senate Bill No. 157, ensuring a just and clean transition to renewables.
