The Marcos administration has been committed to shifting government policies to renewables since its first year in office and should continue to pursue its steps to boost the development of the green energy sector, former Department of Energy (DOE) Undersecretary Atty. Jay Layug recently said in a speech during the Philippine Power Plant Energy Summit.
It is expected that over 100 million Filipinos across the country will get access to cheaper power rates if the government pushes all its efforts toward renewable energy initiatives, Layug stated.
The Divina Law Senior Partner noted that since the administration’s assumption to office, it has accelerated RE programs that helped in advancing the green energy sector, Layud also mentioned.
Strategies like the Energy Virtual One-stop Shop (EVOSS) Act were implemented, empowering prospective energy companies to self-sustain and conduct necessary transactions such as securing the permits they need and paying required charges easily via EVOSS’ online platform. Several implementing rules and regulations of the Renewable Energy Act of 2008 were also amended and made liberalization of foreign ownership in RE investments; the preferential dispatch of registered generating units utilizing RE sources in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) possible.
Layug stated that given the unpredictable pricing of coal, oil, and other fossil fuel energy sources, pursuing the increase in RE capacity will be beneficial to the consumers, and could further mean that the next generations might enjoy an abundant supply in spite of its growing energy needs once the DOE carries out the National Renewable Energy Program (NREP).
Layug stressed that renewable energy is not only a means to increase energy capacities, but is intended to serve the demand for energy and development.
