Marcos Jr.: Nuke clean, price-efficient

Should he win the presidency, former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. will consider nuclear energy as a power source for the country, calling it “clean” and “cost-efficient.”

Marcos, Jr., in a BusinessMirror report, rued the “political decision” to mothball the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP), which was built during the time of his late father – dictator Ferdinand Marcos, Sr. – stating that the so-called “sister plants in Korea have been doing well.” 

The BNPP was mothballed by the late Pres. Corazon Aquino, following kickback issues and the Chernobyl incident in 1986. 

Earlier, Vice President Leni Robredo – one of Marcos Jr.’s rivals for the presidency – said that she is open to discuss the use of nuclear power to boost the country’s energy sector. Some senatorial candidates have also expressed consideration in reopening the BNPP to avert an energy crisis. 

Aside from nuclear energy, Marcos Jr. said that there is a need to consider the country’s reliance on oil and coal for its baseload plants and the majority of the current energy mix. He said that energy security can be achieved by ‘striking the right balance’ of energy sources. 

The former senator is also looking to accelerate investments in renewable energy, citing good outputs from solar power, and limitations when using wind farms. 

Overall, Marcos Jr. is looking to rationalize the entire energy system in the country through far-seeing policy directions and strategic investments, noting that energy pricing and security is an issue with investors.