Senate flags DOE’s ‘weak, sketchy energy plan’

by Myrna Velasco October 17, 2016

http://www.mb.com.ph/senate-flags-does-weak-sketchy-energy-plan/

The Senate is willing to increase the budget allocation of the Department of Energy (DOE) only if it would step up in attracting the ‘real and professional talents’ that can help it reinforce its delivery of service, including pursuing improvements in what is currently perceived as “weak and still sketchy energy plan.”

According to Senate Committee on Energy Chairman Sherwin T. Gatchalian, the current version of the energy plan is still decrepit and too wanting of details – as to what the sector really wants to pursue in the short-term to medium and long-term timeframes.

Gatchalian has called for a detailed and dependable planning that could stretch until year 2050, parallel to what other power markets in the world have been undertaking.

“One area that we will be helping them out is to increase their budget…but on the capacity building, we also have to look really how DOE attracts talent. They need to professionalize the political appointees,” Gatchalian stressed.

The DOE is a very significant agency sector that must be equipped with competent pool of talents because it takes charge of policy and planning of the country’s long-term energy needs, but for many years already, it turned out to be a gallery of freakish appointments.

On the Philippine Energy Plan (PEP) that has been mandated under the Electric Power Industry Reform Act every 15th of September annually, the lawmaker said “we flagged DOE already about that, I want to be very strict with the PEP.”

At this point though, he noted, his willingness to give the energy department time leeway as to when they could step up on their planning skills and work.

“Let’s give DOE some more time. They are forming a team, and they said they have a lot of pending items,” he said.

Energy plans are generally not cast in stone, so the Senate energy committee chair also requires a plan that the DOE can update credibly based on developments and turbulent times in the energy sector, including some ‘new surprises’ that will encroach on markets.