DOE calls for regional energy planning

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Energy (DOE) has called for the creation of regional energy plans to secure the country’s energy supply.

“The need for regional energy planning is essential for us to explore potential energy sources and promote regional energy security across the nation,” Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla said.

He said that the plans would help execute projects and programs cited under the Philippine Energy Plan, the country’s energy blueprint.

So far, the DOE is working on the Palawan and Mindoro energy plans.

In the agency’s Palawan Power Situationer and Outlook, Petilla said the DOE has so far awarded 25.08 megawatts of renewable energy (RE) projects in the province.

There is also a pending application of 5 MW and a potential RE site of 1.7 MW.

Majority of the RE projects use solar and hydroelectric power. The biggest project is the 10-MW Puerto Princes Solar Power Project earlier awarded to Enfinity Philippines Renewable Resources Inc.

In Mindoro, the DOE already awarded 189.3 MW worth of RE projects, the biggest of which is the 48-MW Puerto Galera Wind Power Project of the Philippine Hybrid Energy Systems Inc.

“There is also 47.1 MW of potential RE and 151.2 MW of potential biomass energy resources due to Mindoro’s extensive agricultural lands. Correspondingly, 76.36 billion cubic feet of gas is also estimated to be found on-shore of Mindoro Island. The operator of this Service Contract is Pitkin Petroleum,” Petilla said.

The draft of the Palawan energy plan is being reviewed by the Energy Planning and Policy Bureau for finalization and revisions, while a series of public consultations and stakeholder meetings are being held for the creation of the Mindoro energy plan.

The DOE is eyeing to release the final Palawan and Mindoro energy plans in the last quarter of 2014 and January 2015, respectively.

Transformer station photo from Shutterstock

– Rappler.com