Consumer group CitizenWatch expressed its support for the Department of Energy’s shift in the energy mix policy in assuring reliable power supply and lower the cost of electricity.
“The priority of government should be to support a more robust economy by ensuring a steady and competitive power supply for industry and consumers,” CitizenWatch Secretary General Paco Pangalangan said in a statement.
The group added that even though they support the need for cleaner energy, pollution that caused climate change came from developed countries’ industries and not the Philippines.
We should not risk slowing down our development through policies that mandate and unfairly force us to subsidize the unviable cost of certain lobby groups and energy suppliers. We are still at a stage where lower cost and availability of adequate supply are critical to support growth and national development,” Pangalangan said.
Recently, DOE Secretary Alfonso Cusi said that the new fuel mix policy will be based on the system requirement of 70% baseload, 20% mid- merit and 10% peaking power.
In the previous administration, the energy mix consisted of a 30:30:30 ratio between coal, renewables, and natural gas while 10% was allocated to alternative energy sources.
“While the policy resulted in more investments in Renewable Energy, it also had the effect of adding to the already high cost of electricity owing to the more expensive generation charges of some of these RE plants, as well as from the additional Feed-in-Tariff charges,” Pangalangan added.
He added that the congressional oversight committee should look into the money collected by the RE suppliers through the Feed in Tariff and the taxes imposed on generation, transmission and distribution of electricity.
“The power sector is already heavily taxed. We should no longer allow policies that promote additional burden to electricity consumers,” Pangalangan said.
