Councilors press for renewable energy use

Sunstar Baguio

BAGUIO should join the bandwagon of local governments that are now exploring options on how to make use of renewable energy and not depend too much on fossil fuels, officials said.

Councilors Erdolfo Balajadia and Fred Bagbagen are proposing for the Mayor's office to invite proponents of renewable energy to explore and conduct feasibility studies to determine opportunities in the field of renewable energy, such as solar, wind and water, and the eventual putting up of whatever is applicable and beneficial to Baguio.

Because the country is blessed with renewable sources of energy, Balajadia and Bagbagen said Baguio City can use these energy sources and possibly cut on its dependence on fossil fuels.

The Renewable Energy Act of 2008 promotes the use of "clean" sources of energy by accelerating the exploration and development of renewable energy resources such as, biomass, solar, wind, hydro, geothermal and ocean energy sources, including hybrid systems, to achieve energy self-reliance, through the adoption of sustainable energy development strategies to reduce the country's dependence on fossil fuels and thereby minimize the country's exposure to price fluctuations in the international markets.

The law also promotes the institutionalization of the development of national and local capabilities in the use of renewable energy systems by promoting its efficient and cost-effective commercial application by providing fiscal and non-fiscal incentives.

"Harnessing renewable energy is not only environmentally viable but it is likewise seen as a means to make profit from the sale of consumable electricity and can create several hundreds of local jobs from the establishment of power plants," the proponents said.

"The Philippines is one of the largest producers of geothermal energy in the world second to the United States of America. We are also blessed to have the seemingly endless wind power across the archipelago and abundant supply of sun the whole year round being in the tropical setting which in turn could be transformed into efficient and cost-effective consumable electricity like those produced by wind turbines and solar panels among others and undeniably environmentally viable," the councilors added. (Rimaliza Opiña)

Published in the Sun.Star Baguio newspaper on November 21, 2010.