RENEWABLE ENERGY: KEY STEP FOR TOTAL ELECTRIFICATION IN THE PHILIPPINES
By: Michael Andrew Ken R. Martinez
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| Tara Energy, Renewable Energy [7] |
Energy
Progression
Beginning in the early 1960s, the
Philippines launched a program to electrify rural areas. By 2001, it was
intended to electrify 90% of the population. Subsequently, 2017 was chosen as
the deadline for achieving this objective. This occurred because the
Philippines do not use renewable energy sources and instead relies on coal. The
Renewable Energy Act of 2008, the first comprehensive renewable energy law in
Southeast Asia, was later introduced by the Filipino government. The act's
goals are to achieve energy independence, reduce climate change, and support
socio-economic development in rural areas. The act covers the creation of
required infrastructure and feed-in tariff-based systems, as well as the
production and use of renewable energy. The nation has encouraged the
production of power from renewable sources for more than 40 years as a result
of this bold strategy. Despite of this objective, there is a declining trend in
the Philippines' use of renewable energy sources. Renewable energy accounted for
34% of power generation in 2008, but just 21% in 2021 [2].
This problem occurs because the
Philippines aren't investing in renewable energy. Investing in renewable energy
now will lower the cost of the nation's energy usage while also creating new
jobs for the populace [3]. Also, encourage others to invest in renewable
energies by installing solar panels.
After all, solar power in the Philippines can very well be the most
popular type of renewable energy that everybody can certainly relate to. "We
will increase our use of renewable energy sources such as hydropower,
geothermal power, solar, and wind,“ said President Marcos. “Solar power has
steadily increased its efficiency in converting sunlight to electrical power,
which is particularly attractive for the Philippines. Because, unlike wind
power, solar power is practical almost everywhere in the Philippines all year
round". Also, USAID (2018) noted in its report that the Philippines has a
wealth of solar, wind, and other renewable energy resources and listed numerous
possible locations for wind and solar generation along with their capacities
[4].
Benefits
of Renewable Energy
Filipinos have been shielded from
price volatility as the increased use of renewable energy has reduced
electricity bills by fuel type and eliminated fuel costs [5]. Clean and
renewable energy sources like geothermal, hydro, wind, biomass and solar energy
are among the country’s few competitive advantages – especially since it has no
significant deposits of fossil fuels. The continued dependence on imported fuel
has made Philippine electricity rates among the highest in Asia. Now it's time
to depend more on renewable energy and invest for long-term benefit. It does
not only help solve the problem of electricity bills but also increases the
Philippine economy at the same time. Workers in the renewable energy sector
have been found to be in better health than those in the conventional energy
production sector. After reviewing current and future potential job
opportunities, it is clear that renewable energy can create thousands of
excellent jobs in the Philippines [6]. Cultivating renewable energies shows a
lot of benefits not only in solving the problem of total electrification but
also in alleviating the lifestyle in rural communities while in the process of
technological advancement and giving good impacts on the livelihood of every
Filipino.
Conclusion
There is still much work to be done
to achieve total electrification. According to the NEA, there are still more
than 2 million households without access to electricity. To address this, the
government should continue to prioritize the development of renewable energy
and provide support to rural electrification programs that utilize these
sources of energy.
In conclusion, renewable energy is a
key step towards achieving total electrification in the Philippines. The
country's abundant resources, coupled with government incentives and private
sector partnerships, have led to a significant increase in renewable energy
capacity in recent years. The government should continue to support the
development of renewable energy and prioritize rural electrification programs
that utilize these sources of energy to provide access to electricity for all
Filipinos.
References
|
[1] |
S. Taniguchi, Securing
access to electricity with variable renewable energy in the Philippines:
Learning from the Nordic Model, Asian Development Bank, 2019. |
|
[2] |
ASEAN Business News,
"A. Briefing, “Philippines opens renewable energy to full foreign ownership,”,"
11 January 2023. [Online]. Available:
https://www.aseanbriefing.com/news/philippines-opens-renewable-energy-to-full-foreign-ownership/.
[Accessed 20 February 2023]. |
|
[3] |
Solenergy Systems
Inc., "“Investing in renewable energy in the Philippines,”," 01
July 2016. [Online]. Available:
https://solenergy.com.ph/filipino-invest-solar-energy/. [Accessed 20 February
2023]. |
|
[4] |
V. Tachev,
"Renewable energy in the Philippines - current state and future
roadmap," Energy Tracker Asia, 12 May 2022. [Online]. Available:
https://energytracker.asia/renewable-energy-in-the-philippines-current-state-and-future-roadmap/.
[Accessed 20 February 2023]. |
|
[5] |
Org.ph,
"Renewables Best Way to Power Philippine Development," [Online].
Available:
https://wwf.org.ph/what-we-do/climate/renewables/renewables-to-power-ph-dev/.
[Accessed 20 February 2023]. |
|
[6] |
Greenpeace
Philippines, "Renewable energy is the key to economic progress,"
[Online]. Available: https://www.greenpeace.org/philippines/press/1233/renewable-energy-is-the-key-to-economic-progress/.
[Accessed 20 February 2023]. |
|
[7] |
Tara Energy,
"Renewable Energy: What you need to know," Tara Energy, 01 March
2021. [Online]. Available: https://taraenergy.com/blog/renewable-energy-need-to-know/.
[Accessed 20 February 2023]. |
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