President Rodrigo Duterte in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) expressed support for the development of coal power plant projects and urged government agencies to prioritize the clearance permits for the power industry’s development.

Now, the Department of Energy (DOE) is working on streamlining its processing, and setting standards and limitations to the number of projects allowed, DOE spokesman William Fuentebella said in a briefing in Taguig yesterday.

“What we’re trying to look into is how to work together on how to streamline the process and at the same time, how standards should be applied,” he said.

Duterte said there is a need for the country’s power sector to be industrialized, and that he will do so during his term.

The DOE will be conducting an audit for the whole power sector, Fuentebella said.

“It is included in the audit that will be conducted. It is among the things needed by developers which can really help in investment decisions. Additionally, with the the help of NGCP (National Grid Corp. of the Philippines), the audit will also help developers to locate where are the locations of a certain type of power plant,” he said.

The audit is part of Energy secretary Alfonso Cusi’s initiative to gain better insights on the power industry.