July 26, 2020 | 7:00 pm
SUPPORTERS of green energy are
urging the government to highlight renewables in its economic recovery plan,
saying that such a measure will make the economy more resilient while
generating jobs.
Ahead of President Rodrigo R.
Duterte’s fourth State of the Nation Address, the Power for People (P4P)
Coalition said stimulus measures in the pipeline must “build the Filipinos’
resilience against future ecological and economic crises” while mitigating the
impact of the global coronavirus pandemic over the short term.
“We need a green stimulus program
which at once provides livelihood and transitions our economies towards a
sustainable future,” the group said in a statement over the weekend.
P4P reminded the President of
previous policy statements boosting renewables development, which it touted as
“key” to the recovery.
“Renewable energy development,
especially in the form of microgrids, would provide clean and affordable
electricity while creating job opportunities and offering solutions for 100%
electrification, and is key to national recovery,” it said.
In March, when the coronavirus
disease 2019 (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic, the International Energy
Agency told world leaders to make large-scale renewable energy investments the
core of their governments’ pandemic responses as “it will bring the twin
benefits of stimulating economies and accelerating clean energy transitions.”
Both the country’s solar and energy
efficiency industries have sought to participate in the government’s
post-pandemic stimulus plan.
The coalition also asked the
government to expedite refunds to power users after many bills during the
lockdown were disputed as too high, and to expand relief for power consumers
due to the disruption to livelihoods caused by the pandemic.
In May, complaints mounted due to
high electricity bills, leading legislators to probe the power industry and its
regulators. Billing issues were blamed on the application of the advisories
issued by the Department of Energy and the Energy Regulatory Commission during
the quarantine period.
Power companies were unable to
deploy meter readers during the quarantine, and they were allowed to bill
according to estimated previous consumption. — Adam J. Ang
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