Two groups on Wednesday commended the government's move to no longer endorse new coal power plants, saying it would promote competition and wider renewable energy (RE) use.
In separate statements, the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) and Greenpeace welcomed the Department of Energy's (DoE) moratorium on greenfield coal-fired power plants or coal facilities that are yet to be constructed, which they said would pave the way for the country's transition to RE.
"By declaring a moratorium on new coal plants, [Energy] Secretary [Alfonso] Cusi is adhering to [the] DoE's mandate to enable competition in the energy sector and provide reliable and cost effective power, while giving preference to indigenous and clean energy sources," ICSC senior policy advisor Pedro Maniego Jr. said.
"The Covid-19 pandemic has laid bare the risks of overdependence on inflexible baseload plants, mainly coal, as well as the need for the country's transition to a modern, flexible power system utilizing renewable energy with near zero marginal cost," he added.
Greenpeace Campaigner Khevin Yu called the moratorium "one small step," and said that to "ensure the country's rapid transition to renewable energy, the DoE must take this further by enacting a permanent moratorium that includes not [only] coal, but also gas projects in the pipeline, and jumpstart a phase-out plan for existing coal and other fossil fuel facilities,"
Along with the moratorium, Cusi also announced that the country now allows full foreign ownership of large-scale geothermal exploration, development and utilization projects, which Maniego supports and Yu voiced dismay over.
Meanwhile, Infrawatch PH convenor Terry Ridon said "geothermal energy cannot be considered as a mineral resource," noting that "under the 1987 Constitution, a distinction is made between minerals and forces of potential energy, which is what geothermal energy essentially is."
"As such, the government cannot enter into financial and technical assistance agreements with foreign-owned corporations for the development of large-scale geothermal projects, he added."
In separate statements, the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) and Greenpeace welcomed the Department of Energy's (DoE) moratorium on greenfield coal-fired power plants or coal facilities that are yet to be constructed, which they said would pave the way for the country's transition to RE.
"The Covid-19 pandemic has laid bare the risks of overdependence on inflexible baseload plants, mainly coal, as well as the need for the country's transition to a modern, flexible power system utilizing renewable energy with near zero marginal cost," he added.
Greenpeace Campaigner Khevin Yu called the moratorium "one small step," and said that to "ensure the country's rapid transition to renewable energy, the DoE must take this further by enacting a permanent moratorium that includes not [only] coal, but also gas projects in the pipeline, and jumpstart a phase-out plan for existing coal and other fossil fuel facilities,"
Along with the moratorium, Cusi also announced that the country now allows full foreign ownership of large-scale geothermal exploration, development and utilization projects, which Maniego supports and Yu voiced dismay over.
Meanwhile, Infrawatch PH convenor Terry Ridon said "geothermal energy cannot be considered as a mineral resource," noting that "under the 1987 Constitution, a distinction is made between minerals and forces of potential energy, which is what geothermal energy essentially is."
"As such, the government cannot enter into financial and technical assistance agreements with foreign-owned corporations for the development of large-scale geothermal projects, he added."
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