The provincial board of Antique has given the green light to create an Energy Council tasked with formulating an ordinance for developing renewable energy resources in the province.
The proposal to create an Energy Council was supported by board member Pio Jessielio Sumande, who also serves as the chairperson of the committee on environmental and natural resources.
This decision was brought up from Antique’s need to identify resources that could support the continuous implementation of renewable energy.
“Since the development of renewable energy would be expensive, we might be looking into a private-public partnership for the conduct of the feasibility study and for investors to prioritize the power requirement of the province to ensure sustainable supply,” said Sumande.
Sumande also mentioned that as of the moment, the island was engaged in the extraction of thermal coal at Semirara, Caluya. Additionally, the Villasiga Hydro Power Plant was generating eight megawatts in Bugasong.
Furthermore, the board was also considering untapped natural resources, specifically for hydropower, such as the waterfalls in Culasi, Valderrama, and San Remigio towns.
The provincial government reported that foreign companies based in China and Korea have already expressed interest in investing in solar and hydroelectric projects.