Manila Bulletin
by Myrna Velasco
December 3, 2014
By merely shifting to energy-efficient appliances or cleaning the currently-installed ones, electricity consumers would be able to help government and the private sector free up some P8.0 billion capital outlay on new power investments.
Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho L. Petilla indicated that based on the numbers they have crunched, a social action on systematic usage of electricity could spare the power system of 40 to 70 megawatts of capacity addition.
Referencing that on the rule-of-thumb cost on power investments – preferably for a baseload capacity at $2.5 million per megawatt – the resulting ‘avoided capital outlay’ will be $175 million or roughly P7.87 billion.
Petilla admitted though that energy savings as an option to pare electricity demand remains a “hard sell” to Filipino consumers – that he actually rated public consciousness on this sphere at a fledgling 1.0-percent.
Despite the Filipino public’s “lack of light-bulb moment” though, the energy chief has been aggressively targeting to raise consciousness on energy savings to a passing rate of 6.0-percent. He wants the National Energy Consciousness Month celebration launched by his department this week as a fresh starting point.
The way to that target, he admitted, would be a tough and tricky one because it generally resides in the people’s will to really conserve on their energy usage – adding it to the fact that the mechanism being pushed by government would be for it to be done on a voluntary basis.
The estimated savings on purported investments, Petilla said, would include both those in the government and private sectors – factoring in even the lack of awareness and the reluctance of some segments to become part of the process.
Petilla has emphasized that “energy conservation is not (just) reserved for owners of big factories, houses and businesses,” but everybody is obligated to chip in into such noble cause of moderating the country’s energy addiction.
He further apprised media that the Department of Energy “will be issuing further policies and mechanisms” on how it can stimulate energy conservation across societal segments.
The department laid down plans on recurring investment forums; information, education and communication campaigns (IEC) as well as public consultations. Ultimately though, it remains to be seen if the department can finally pass muster this initiative given the shortcomings and weaknesses of the programs it already implemented in the past. source
No comments:
Post a Comment