‘Clean’ energy sourcing minimum mulled

Business World Online
Posted on November 17, 2011 11:50:41 PM


THE GOVERNMENT is looking to peg the required minimum amount of electricity which power utilities should source from renewable energy plants at 1% of their total supply mix, an official said in a forum presentation on Thursday.
Wind turbines in Bangui, Ilocos Norte -- the government hopes to see more of these. -- AFP
The Energy department hopes to finalize by yearend the so-called renewable portfolio standards provided under Republic Act No. 9513, or the Renewable Energy Act of 2008, which will require distribution utilities and power cooperatives to source a percentage of the electricity they supply their customers from facilities that run on biomass, run-of-river hydro, ocean wave, solar or wind energy.
“We can hit 1% -- the minimum percentage for renewable energy portfolio standards -- with the renewable energy... that’s coming online,” said Mario C. Marasigan, director of the Energy department’s Renewable Energy Management Bureau, in his presentation at the two-day Asia-Korea Renewable Energy Partnership Forum 2011 in Makati Shangri-La Manila that ends today.
He added it is possible the mandated minimum could increase by a percentage point every year, depending on the number of renewable energy facilities that will go online.
The Energy department had said earlier it hopes to enforce this requirement starting early next year.
The Philippines aims more than triple its energy capacity to 15,263 megawatts (MW) by 2030 from the current 5,369 MW.
Speakers in the same forum said other countries in Asia have also been pushing for greater use of renewable energy resources.
Jungtae Park of South Korea’s RE Association noted “expansion of incentives for solar installations, support for domestic wind turbines, construction of hydropower plants, etc.,” adding that his country is looking at renewable portfolio standards that will start at 2% next year, rising to 10% by 2022.
Phichai Tinsuntisook, chairman of the RE Industry Club of the Federation of Thai Industries, said during his presentation in the forum that “Thailand is targeting 5,280 MW of renewable energy capacity by 2022,” adding that bulk of such electricity will be generated “from biomass technology.” -- ENJD