DOE rejects moratorium on coal plants’ development

by Myrna Velasco March 30, 2016
http://www.mb.com.ph/doe-rejects-moratorium-on-coal-plants-development/\

For once, the Department of Energy (DOE) has categorically stated that it will not impose moratorium on coal plant developments because these are still needed to meet the country’s growing energy demand.

Instead, the department is working on policies and measures that shall set stricter standards on coal-fired power plants, including storage and handling of coal fuel.

In a very emotional statement aimed at the recent pronouncement of former United States vice president Al Gore when he was in Manila, Energy Secretary Zenaida Y. Monsada has stated firmly that “we cannot stop coal plants” – at least she emphasized that “not at this time.”

She stressed that the department cannot just let the Filipino people grope in the dark or blackouts by drastically imposing policies that would stall power plants’ construction leaning on coal technologies.

“They’re saying: Why are you still allowing coal plants? But what we’re saying is: we still need power.

We can’t prevent them at this point. We have to take note also that five years ago, these were already planned and they have already been under construction,” the energy chief stressed.

Monsada noted that even if all power generation facilities in the Philippines will be equipped with coal technology, there would still be no assurance that natural disasters will not strike.

“We have already submitted contribution for climate change. In fact, the Philippines is very ambitious that it will be 70-percent emissions reduction – and we have a target date which is 2030, and it is not today, that’s what was discussed at COP21 (21st Conference of the Parties),” she said.

Monsada added that if controls and stricter standards will be enforced, it will be for the greenfield power developments in the future.

Under the proposed fuel mix rebalancing thought out by the department, she emphasized that future electricity supply will no longer be addressed by coal, but by other cleaner sources such as renewables; and gas as “bridging fuel.”

“We have aspiration for 30-30-30 fuel mix. We aspire for balanced energy mix because we cannot be overly dependent on a single source especially if that resource is not locally produced,” Monsada said.

She indicated that the country’s emissions reduction pledge under the COP 21 climate change diplomacy is not just power – but had also factored in the emissions contribution of other sectors, such as transportation and agriculture, among others.