Energy is the lifeblood of an economy. Thus, as the Philippines’ power demand constantly rises, it’s become critical to have a more innovative and reliable strategy for energy security. 

Fortunately, the challenges facing the industry have also opened up opportunities and changed mindsets for the better. For example, projects such as the nationwide power grid unification, energy storage systems, and those designed to achieve the 35% renewable energy goal by 2030, are now underway.

In the general public, we see a rise in new technologies such as electric vehicles, consumer-friendly renewable energy systems, and opportunities to be both a producer and consumer or “prosumer.” 

For the average Filipino, these developments boil down to one question: Will we have sufficient and reliable electricity to power our future? 

In last year’s roundtable, industry experts started their discussions based on the European Chamber of Commerce Philippines’ 2023 Advocacy Papers. The paper gave three recommendations: a decisive transition strategy for increased renewable energy; the unification of the country’s power grids; and eased business processes in the energy sector. The panel concluded that although there is much work to be done on both the demand and supply sides, there is also a lot of potential for us to develop a more efficient and sustainable energy mix.

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[ROUNDTABLE] Powering Up: The race to energy security

To explore the question and provide a hopeful outlook, we gather a panel of experts for a three-part series to discuss the impact of these ongoing projects on communities and how to ultimately achieve energy security. This series is sponsored by the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines and AboitizPower.

Ruth Yu-Owen, president of the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, returns to moderate the panel. Returning with her are Anne Montelibano, president and executive director of the Philippine Independent Power Producers Association, Inc.; and Rowaldo “Wali” Del Mundo, associate dean of the College of Engineering, University of the Philippines – Diliman. Joining the panel too is Felix William “Wimpy” Fuentebella, undersecretary of the Department of Energy.

They answer questions about improvements in the energy sector in the past year, learnings from the January blackouts in Panay, new technologies globally, and related matters. 

Catch the episodes live on April 18, May 2, and May 16 at 6 pm. Don’t forget to mark your calendars or bookmark this page to stay in the loop. – Rappler.com