TAGUIG CITY - Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi yesterday (3 June) reiterated the urgency of successfully fulfilling the Department’s priority programs for 2019-2022.
“We have the next three years to help President Duterte realize his vision of helping Filipinos lead stable and comfortable lives. As we revisit the DOE’s midterm action plan, we must think, serve and formulate the appropriate policies in accordance to what will help bring accessible, reliable and affordable energy throughout the entire country,” he said.
BUILDING CAPACITY AND POWER SUPPLY DEPENDABILITY
In support of the “Build, Build, Build” program of the Duterte administration, Sec. Cusi emphasized the crucial role of energy, particularly building sufficient capacity, as the key to sustaining the country’s economic growth.
Guided by the latest Supreme Court ruling on subjecting power supply contracts to Competitive Selection Process to further protect the consumers, the Energy Chief reassured the public that the DOE will remain relentless in finding ways to help bring down the costs of power in the country.
He also added that missionary electrification and the attainment of 100% household electrification all over the Philippines continues to be of top priority to the energy family, in cooperation with the National Electrification Administration, National Power Corporation and the private industry players.
NEW GENERATING CAPACITIES
Sec. Cusi likewise stated that the Department will fast-track the contracting of new generating capacities for 2023-2030. He noted that the Working Visit of the President in Japan has led to another positive development in this regard, as the Japanese government, through the Japan International Cooperation Agency, expressed its interest in building a power plant in the Philippines that could be deployed in 18 to 24 months.
EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT USE OF ENERGY
As part of the Department’s initiatives to provide reliable, sustainable, and affordable energy sources, the DOE is preparing an integrated transmission power development plan, as well as a green rate program that will help strengthen the country’s renewable energy sector.
Sec. Cusi stressed that the DOE “will ensure the sustainable implementation of the rules and laws for the security of our energy supply through competition, access to bilateral markets, anti-monopoly measures, least-cost power, and the protection of the environment.”
Despite being technology neutral, he further assured the public that the DOE will continue to help protect the environment and address climate change concerns by exploring the utilization of the latest technologies that are environmentally sustainable.
UNITED AS ONE
With the DOE fully supportive of the current administration’s vision of inclusive progress, the Energy Chief appealed to all energy family members to remain steadfast in the face of challenges and continue to improve as a unified energy sector.
“I will be looking at how we do things and make the necessary changes if needed. Magtulungan tayo para mas maganda at maunlad ang kinabukasan ng mga susunod na henerasyon ng Pilipino,” he concluded.
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