The Philippines needs more clean energy sources investments to electrify the homes of around three million Filipino households who still have no electricity, particularly in remote areas.
This was the statement made by Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco. He added that developments like solar and wind power would be made even easier with the passage of the Energy Virtual One-Stop Shop (EVOSS).
The EVOSS law aims to attract more local and foreign investments with the elimination of red tape which has hindered the ease of doing business in the country, Velasco said.
“As our population grows, it’s not only important to tap new sources of energy to meet the demand. We should also make it a priority to harness renewable sources of energy that are clean and cheap,” Velasco was quoted in a Philippine Daily Inquirer report.
Overall power consumption increased to 4 percent. In Luzon, the power use jumped to 3.58 percent to 69, 625-gigawatt hours (GWh) from 67, 221 GWh; meanwhile Visayas rose to 5.8 percent to 12, 942 GWh from 12, 232 GWh; and Mindanao recorded an increase by 4.04 percent to 11, 803 GWh from 11, 345 GWh.
According to a study conducted by Australia-based think tank International Energy Consultants, the Philippines ranked second in the top five countries with the highest power rates next to Japan in Asia-Pacific region.
“What the country needs is renewable sources of energy to meet the future demand for electricity. We should add more windmills, solar panels and hydro-electric energy producers. These are the areas where we need to attract investments and capital,” Velasco said.
