Business World Online
Posted on May 24, 2011 10:34:50 PM
THE DEPARTMENT of Energy (DoE) is finalizing a "road map" for developing the country’s renewable energy resources and hopes to launch it by the middle of next month, Energy Undersecretary Josefina Patricia M. Asirit told reporters yesterday.
The National Renewable Energy Program is designed to "provide policy directions and establish a more detailed framework for developing renewable energy," Ms. Asirit said after briefing the House of Representatives Committee on Energy.
"There is investor interest in renewable energy in the country, and to further encourage this we are coming up with a National Renewable Energy Program which is basically a road map with goals and targets to formalize plans of the government for renewable energy," Ms. Asirit said.
She added that the program will take into consideration issues involving transmission, pricing and the various technologies for developing renewable energy resources.
Ms. Asirit described the program, which is scheduled to be launched on June 14, as a "living document" which will be updated regularly.
Republic Act No. 9513, or the Renewable Energy Act of 2008, directed the government to provide the policies, directions and related structures needed to encourage renewable energy resource development.
These requirements include the establishment of feed-in tariff rates and renewable energy portfolio standards.
Feed-in tariff guarantees payment to renewable energy investors through a universal charge on all electricity users, while renewable energy portfolio standards require distribution utilities to source a certain percentage of power they distribute from renewable energy sources.
"It is time we put together this program now that the two-year pre-development stage of many investors are over, so they can now look forward to implementing their projects," Ms. Asirit said.
In the hearing yesterday, however, members of the House Committee on Energy said the government should make sure that feed-in tariff rates should be fair to both investors and consumers.
"There is a general interest to ensure that we really develop our capacity using renewable energy, but we also want to be able to balance energy security with that advocacy. We just wanted to see simulations from the ERC (Energy Regulatory Commission) on the consumer impact of the submitted rates," said committee chairman Rep. Henedina R. Abad of Batanes. -- ENJD
"There is investor interest in renewable energy in the country, and to further encourage this we are coming up with a National Renewable Energy Program which is basically a road map with goals and targets to formalize plans of the government for renewable energy," Ms. Asirit said.
She added that the program will take into consideration issues involving transmission, pricing and the various technologies for developing renewable energy resources.
Ms. Asirit described the program, which is scheduled to be launched on June 14, as a "living document" which will be updated regularly.
Republic Act No. 9513, or the Renewable Energy Act of 2008, directed the government to provide the policies, directions and related structures needed to encourage renewable energy resource development.
These requirements include the establishment of feed-in tariff rates and renewable energy portfolio standards.
Feed-in tariff guarantees payment to renewable energy investors through a universal charge on all electricity users, while renewable energy portfolio standards require distribution utilities to source a certain percentage of power they distribute from renewable energy sources.
"It is time we put together this program now that the two-year pre-development stage of many investors are over, so they can now look forward to implementing their projects," Ms. Asirit said.
In the hearing yesterday, however, members of the House Committee on Energy said the government should make sure that feed-in tariff rates should be fair to both investors and consumers.
"There is a general interest to ensure that we really develop our capacity using renewable energy, but we also want to be able to balance energy security with that advocacy. We just wanted to see simulations from the ERC (Energy Regulatory Commission) on the consumer impact of the submitted rates," said committee chairman Rep. Henedina R. Abad of Batanes. -- ENJD
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