Energy, Power, and Utilities Industry

[r0mm3l]

‘PH to become key player in carbon-credit trade’
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/-depth/06...trade%E2%80%99



MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines will be a key player in the growing carbon-credit market because its rains, topography and its geothermal resources are suited for producing renewable energy, an Australian carbon services company said.

The carbon credit market was born out of the European Union’s limits on carbon emissions. Any company that exceeds the limits has to buy credits from renewable energy companies and companies that reduce carbon emissions, such as landfills designed for that.

These companies earn these credits when they are registered under the United Nations Framework for Climate Change (UNFCC). While limits have not yet been set, some Japanese companies already buy carbon credits voluntarily.

More than 3,000 projects are registered, 32 of which are in the Philippines. The largest is the Ambuklao, Benguet hydro plant controlled by Aboitiz Power at 160,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year.

First Farmers Holdings Corp.’s bagasse cogeneration plant (120,000) in Negros Oriental and the biogas emission reduction project at Quezon City’s waste disposal facility (116,000) are next. The windpower plant at Bangui Ilocos Norte has 57,000, on the other hand.

(See UNFCC-registered projects)

“The key resource is rainfall,” Andrew Jauncey, financial controller of Perenia Carbon Pty, said in an interview in Sydney. “You need an appropriate amount of rain to be able to capture and harness and turn into hydroelectric generation capacity. The Philippines is excellently positioned on that front.”

“The topography of the Philippines: it’s not flat, which is a problem we often suffer from in Australia: we don’t have the topography to support a lot of hydro. And on the geothermal front, there’s enough capacity within the country because of where it’s situated geographically to support capturing that heat from the earth to generate electricity.”

About 30 pct of Philippine electricity comes from hydro and geothermal sources, according to Department of Energy. Another 30 pct comes from coal, about 18 pct from oil and 20 pct from natural gas.

(See DOE Power Statistics)

Perenia, which helps companies get registered, said it recently got its first Philippine contract for Energy Development Corp.’s 150 megawatt Bacon-Manito hydro power plant in Albay and Sorsogon.

EDC bought the mothballed plant from the government last year and plans to revive it. First Gen officials said Perenia is assessing the project.

Perenia is also in talks for two more Philippine projects, one in hydro and one in solar. Jauncey said declined to divulge more details.

“The Philippines will become a major player in this market,” Jauncey said. “We haven’t seen a lot of investment into the Philippines on the back of carbon but we’re going to see that in couple of years with the government looking to incentivize the people who build these projects. Once projects are built, we can play our part in getting these projects registered so that project owners and the employees and everyone can benefit from the carbon flow to the Philippines.”

[r0mm3l]

Meralco to acquire majority in a coal-fired power plant in Subic
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/224622/b...plant-in-subic

Manila Electric Co., the country's largest power distributor, is set to become the majority shareholder of Redondo Peninsula Enery (RP Energy), a joint venture between Aboitiz Power Corp. and Taiwan Cogeneration Corp. Philippine Branch.

In a statement to the Philippine Stock Exchange on Tuesday, Meralco said its board of directors approved the acquisition of shares in RP Energy by its wholly-owned subsidiary Meralco PowerGen Corp. (MPG).

RP Energy has the development rights and assets to 600 megawatt coal-fired power plant in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone in Zambales.

"It is envisaged that the Meralco Group will have a majority ownership interest in RP Energy while Aboitiz Power and TCC will be diluted equally and a have a combined holding of less than 50 percent," Meralco said.

Meralco had earlier revealed plans to foray into the power generation business as "part of its over-all strategy to assist in ensuring efficient, adequate and reliable electricity at cost-competitive rates."

The investment in RP Energy will also help augment generation capacity in the Luzon grid. -- CMA/OMG, GMA News

[r0mm3l]

Kepco completes new power plant in Cebu
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/6...-plant-in-cebu


SEOUL - Korea Power Electric Corp. (KEPCO), South Korea's state-run power company, said Monday it has completed a new power plant in Cebu, becoming the fourth-largest electric power supplier in the Philippines.

The 200-megawatt power plant took three years and US$ 451 million to build. The plant put KEPCO's power supply in the Philippines at 2,050 megawatts, almost 15 percent of all electric power consumed in the country, it said.

"During its three years of construction, the plant contributed greatly to the Philippines' economy by hiring an average of about 2,000 local workers a day while also helping resolve the problem of power shortages," KEPCO said in a press release.

President Benigno Aquino III on Monday led the inauguration of the 200-megawatt coal-fired power plant that is expected to provide the Visayas area with reliable and affordable electricity.

"Kepco today provides 11 percent of country's generation capacity which I am sure will rise in the coming months with this inauguration. This power plant will make certain energy requirements in this part of our country will be met," Aquino said.

Aquino said the frequent downtime in the Visayas’ power sector had become a stumbling block to economic growth in the region.

"But that time is over," he said, adding that the Naga-based facility will generate more than enough power to meet peak demand in the region.

Aquino also addressed environmental issues raised against the power plant.

"We need to strike a balance. Would you prefer not to have power, or deal with concerns on coal ash which can be monitored and addressed?" he asked.

The coal-fired power plant has committed 92 percent of its capacity to electric customers - eight electric cooperatives and two distribution utilities - while the remaining capacity has been allocated to the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market in the region.

"Our power plant could provide Cebu and other areas in the Visayas with reliable, stable, affordable and cleaner power until the local economy is strong enough to afford renewable energy sources on a wider scale," KSPC president Bok-Yull Lee said.

He said the facility seeks to end the intermittent power interruptions in the provinces of Cebu, Panay and Negros islands.

Lee also assured the public that the power plant uses modern technology and will be maintained as an environment-friendly facility.

"The power plant has established a broad-based team to monitor the environmental safety of the plant, including the health of the local community. It has also installed cutting edge pollution control devices and monitoring systems," Lee added.

Commercial operation of the first 100 mw started in February while the second 100 mw began end of May.

For the construction and future operations of the plant, KEPCO established KSPC, a joint venture with the Philippines' SPC Power Corp. The South Korean company has a 76-percent stake in the joint venture.

[xxxriainxxx]

Rich countries asked to help Philippines expand research into RE
By: Amy R. Remo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
10:55 pm | Tuesday, June 28th, 2011
0share17 11

MANILA, Philippines—Energy Secretary Jose Rene D. Almendras has urged developed countries to pursue a more extensive global research and development for renewable energy, noting that this is their crucial role in pursuing a “green economy.”

“We call on developed countries to provide the necessary funding and technologies for green industries especially for those which we could not develop on our own. Let us work hand in hand at developing and building economically viable solutions to address our unique green industry needs,” Almendras said in his ministerial statement at the recently concluded Vienna Energy Forum (VEF).

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) organized the Vienna Energy Forum to facilitate international dialogue on providing universal energy access and increasing energy efficiency. The VEF was attended by heads of state, policy makers, experts, civil society and private sector representatives.

Meanwhile, the Ministerial Meeting on Energy and Green Industry, which was held parallel to the VEF, was conducted in preparation for the 10th anniversary of the Earth Summit to be held in Rio de Janiero, Brazil in 2012.
Almendras also shared with the delegates the Philippines’ own experience in renewable energy, as he stressed how clean energy from biomass, geothermal, solar, hydro, ocean and wind resources could help provide electricity to remote towns and ensure national energy security.
“Renewable energy accounts for 27.2 percent of the total primary energy mix. With the inclusion of natural gas, the Philippines green power generation stands at 55.1 percent. We have achieved this (VEF’s) goal of (having) 30 percent green energy in (total primary energy mix),” Almendras said.
Renewable energy, he added, could also help bring about energy access for all as the government has been looking at these clean sources as a means for providing energy access to the remaining 27 percent of the population without electricity.

The energy chief said the Philippines would sustain the country’s green energy sector through the National Renewable Energy Program.
According to the NREP, which now serves as the roadmap for the country’s renewable energy plans and development, the DoE is even expecting a whopping P1.2 trillion in fresh investments within the next 20 years.
These hefty investments will see the construction of renewable energy facilities, which can generate a combined 9.865.3 megawatts by 2030, on top of the 5,400 MW renewable energy generation as of the end of 2010.


http://business.inquirer.net/5473/ri...search-into-re

[manlajay]

Philippines set to have first ocean energy plant by 2018

Philippine Daily Inquirer
8:10 pm | Sunday, July 3rd, 2011
1 share15 14

The Department of Energy (DoE) expects the Philippines’ first ocean energy facility to start commercial operations by 2018.

Data from the National Renewable Energy Plan book showed that the first project to go into operation will be the 10-megawatt Cabangan ocean energy thermal conversion (Otec) project in Zambales.

The Cabangan project is one of 20 indicative power projects, which are expected to require a combined P11 billion in investments.

“While the country is endowed with vast ocean resource potential, there have been very limited activities in this sector. This is primarily because of the high investment cost for its exploitation,” the DoE said.

A study conducted by the Mindanao State University indicated that the country, being an archipelago, has a theoretical capacity of 170,000 megawatts over a 1,000 square kilometer ocean resource area.—Amy R.

[TambayBlues]

Originally Posted by kenken94

and start utilizing BNPP! Holy smokes the paronia of the Japan disaster really made Filipinos insane about this.

I guess were not alone in this reaction since even Germany, one of the most advanced countries in the world and a powerhouse in nuclear energy production will phase out all of it's nuclear plants within 10 years. And yet even with their sophistication Germany has one of the highest power rates in the world. I guess they're just starting to confirm what they already knew all along.

[carrieso]

Another disaster really to be made Filipinos insane about this...

[lewdsaint]

Global Biomass to set up $4M R&D facility
Iloilo structure said to be world’s first
By: Amy R. Remo

Philippine Daily Inquirer 10:20 pm | Tuesday, August 2nd, 2011 0shareNew 0
Global Biomass Plc Corp. will put up in Iloilo a $4-million research, development and manufacturing facility.

The company said it was “the first of its kind in the world” as it would be dedicated to improving the supply chain for biomass plants.

The Philippine-based Global Biomass is currently in the business of purchasing from farmers and consolidators agricultural wastes such as rice and corn straw, as well as biomass residues of coconut, banana and pineapple.

The wastes are then sold to power generation companies that use them as feedstock for biomass facilities.

With the construction of the facility, the company will be able to conduct its own research, and develop, design and manufacture equipment that will further improve the harvesting, collection, transportation, storage and processing of wastes, said Global Biomass chief executive officer David de Montaigne. Construction of the 5,000-square-meter facility will start on August 7.

Global Biomass now seeks to register its facility under the Renewable Energy Act of 2008 to secure various incentives.

According to De Montaigne, Global Biomass selected Mina as the location for its facility due to the “progressive development plan for the municipality, its good governance and strong support [from] the provincial government of Iloilo.”

Mina is also the site of two 17.5-megawatt multifueled biomass power plants that are currently being developed by Global Biomass affiliate Green Power Panay Philippines Inc.

http://business.inquirer.net/10195/g...4m-rd-facility

[bods]

Local inventor claims better use for P450-million fuel subsidy
By ELLSON A. QUISMORIO
August 4, 2011, 3:42pm
http://www.mb.com.ph/node/329491/local-inventor-claim

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino inventor Ismael Aviso, famous in online free energy circles for creating a self-charging electric car (e-car) technology, boldly stated that he could have done better things with the government’s P450-million for fuel subsidy.

By “better things,” the 54-year-old Aviso meant he could be sharing his technology to at least 2,000 public utility jeeps (PUJs) and taxis and turn them into green vehicles that are emission-free and most importantly do not run on petroleum.

“With P450 million, naka-produce na sana tayo ng conversion kits para sa 2,000 jeep at taxi (We could have already produced conversion kits for 2,000 jeeps and taxis using the P450 million),” the inventor claimed.

As the name implies, the socalled conversion kits – when retrofitted on a fuel-chugging vehicle – can transform it into an “Aviso e-car” whose properties have been dubbed as miraculous by various online sites. To name one, the converted cars gain the ability to “recharge” by capturing invisible energy out of thin air.

The spectacled Aviso, who owns a water-refilling business in Navotas City, has repeatedly pointed to the lack of funds as his biggest hurdle in bringing his invention to the massmarket.

Asked to give his two cents on the “Pantawid Pasada” or Public Transport Assistance Program (PTAP), Aviso, who is an expert in microwave engineering, said the government could not be blamed for coming up with a stopgap to skyrocketing fuel prices.

“Natural na gawin nila yun lalo na kung nahihirapan na ang mga tao. Pero dapat I-full blast rin ang pagde-develop ng alternative energy (It’s natural for the government to enforce that especially if the people are heavily burdened. But the development of alternative energy should also be full blast).”

He further likened the implementation of PTAP to a case of “giving food to someone who is hungry.”

“Pero kung bibigyan mo ng trabaho yung taong nagugutom, mas maganda sana (But it would be way better to provide a job for that hungry person),” the inventor said, noting that in the long run, his green technology would be the
ultimate solution to the ever-rising cost of fuel.

The Department of Energy (DoE), for its part, recently bared that it has come up with an “Alternative fuels Roadmap,” which will oversee the country’s switch to alternative fuels and serve as the fundamental policy framework on diversifying fuels for transport use in the Philippines.

[shranethomas]

Wow I hope more Filipino inventors will come out of the limelight.

[d7beast]

Originally Posted by bods

Local inventor claims better use for P450-million fuel subsidy
By ELLSON A. QUISMORIO
August 4, 2011, 3:42pm
http://www.mb.com.ph/node/329491/local-inventor-claim

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino inventor Ismael Aviso, famous in online free energy circles for creating a self-charging electric car (e-car) technology, boldly stated that he could have done better things with the government’s P450-million for fuel subsidy.

By “better things,” the 54-year-old Aviso meant he could be sharing his technology to at least 2,000 public utility jeeps (PUJs) and taxis and turn them into green vehicles that are emission-free and most importantly do not run on petroleum.

“With P450 million, naka-produce na sana tayo ng conversion kits para sa 2,000 jeep at taxi (We could have already produced conversion kits for 2,000 jeeps and taxis using the P450 million),” the inventor claimed.

As the name implies, the socalled conversion kits – when retrofitted on a fuel-chugging vehicle – can transform it into an “Aviso e-car” whose properties have been dubbed as miraculous by various online sites. To name one, the converted cars gain the ability to “recharge” by capturing invisible energy out of thin air.
The spectacled Aviso, who owns a water-refilling business in Navotas City, has repeatedly pointed to the lack of funds as his biggest hurdle in bringing his invention to the massmarket.

Asked to give his two cents on the “Pantawid Pasada” or Public Transport Assistance Program (PTAP), Aviso, who is an expert in microwave engineering, said the government could not be blamed for coming up with a stopgap to skyrocketing fuel prices.

“Natural na gawin nila yun lalo na kung nahihirapan na ang mga tao. Pero dapat I-full blast rin ang pagde-develop ng alternative energy (It’s natural for the government to enforce that especially if the people are heavily burdened. But the development of alternative energy should also be full blast).”

He further likened the implementation of PTAP to a case of “giving food to someone who is hungry.”

“Pero kung bibigyan mo ng trabaho yung taong nagugutom, mas maganda sana (But it would be way better to provide a job for that hungry person),” the inventor said, noting that in the long run, his green technology would be the
ultimate solution to the ever-rising cost of fuel.

The Department of Energy (DoE), for its part, recently bared that it has come up with an “Alternative fuels Roadmap,” which will oversee the country’s switch to alternative fuels and serve as the fundamental policy framework on diversifying fuels for transport use in the Philippines.

parang water car a,.or pyramiding business,..

[Parchie]

Originally Posted by bods

Local inventor claims better use for P450-million fuel subsidy
By ELLSON A. QUISMORIO
August 4, 2011, 3:42pm
http://www.mb.com.ph/node/329491/local-inventor-claim

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino inventor Ismael Aviso, famous in online free energy circles for creating a self-charging electric car (e-car) technology, boldly stated that he could have done better things with the government’s P450-million for fuel subsidy.

By “better things,” the 54-year-old Aviso meant he could be sharing his technology to at least 2,000 public utility jeeps (PUJs) and taxis and turn them into green vehicles that are emission-free and most importantly do not run on petroleum.

“With P450 million, naka-produce na sana tayo ng conversion kits para sa 2,000 jeep at taxi (We could have already produced conversion kits for 2,000 jeeps and taxis using the P450 million),” the inventor claimed.

As the name implies, the socalled conversion kits – when retrofitted on a fuel-chugging vehicle – can transform it into an “Aviso e-car” whose properties have been dubbed as miraculous by various online sites. To name one, the converted cars gain the ability to “recharge” by capturing invisible energy out of thin air.

The spectacled Aviso, who owns a water-refilling business in Navotas City, has repeatedly pointed to the lack of funds as his biggest hurdle in bringing his invention to the massmarket.

Asked to give his two cents on the “Pantawid Pasada” or Public Transport Assistance Program (PTAP), Aviso, who is an expert in microwave engineering, said the government could not be blamed for coming up with a stopgap to skyrocketing fuel prices.

“Natural na gawin nila yun lalo na kung nahihirapan na ang mga tao. Pero dapat I-full blast rin ang pagde-develop ng alternative energy (It’s natural for the government to enforce that especially if the people are heavily burdened. But the development of alternative energy should also be full blast).”

He further likened the implementation of PTAP to a case of “giving food to someone who is hungry.”

“Pero kung bibigyan mo ng trabaho yung taong nagugutom, mas maganda sana (But it would be way better to provide a job for that hungry person),” the inventor said, noting that in the long run, his green technology would be the ultimate solution to the ever-rising cost of fuel.

The Department of Energy (DoE), for its part, recently bared that it has come up with an “Alternative fuels Roadmap,” which will oversee the country’s switch to alternative fuels and serve as the fundamental policy framework on diversifying fuels for transport use in the Philippines.

The thing that got me in this report is when it says "converted cars gain the ability to “recharge” by capturing invisible energy out of thin air.". If the reporter doesn't know anything of a report subject, it's best to hold printing of his/her report until a more meaningful presentation can be gathered. Lots of people ripping others here.

[Arvor]

Whatever happend to the proposed nuclear plants in Pangasinan any new developments or has it fizzled out ? .

[Parchie]

Originally Posted by Arvor

Whatever happend to the proposed nuclear plants in Pangasinan any new developments or has it fizzled out ? .

Never heard of that move. Pangasinan has a dense power to area ratio than others in the Philippines, I guess. If ever there was a move to have nuclear power plants in the area, it's purely business sense.

[Arvor]

Well on a quick google search this is the latest i could find on the story :

Pangasinan still wants nuke plant

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan, Philippines – Despite the nuclear crisis in the tsunami-ravaged northeastern Japan, a Pangasinan official said the provincial board is not rescinding a resolution to have a nuclear power plant built along its coastline.

The resolution was approved last year. It invited the national government “to locate, under certain conditions, the Korean Energy Development Organization (KEDO) nuclear plant assets within the boundaries of the province, most specifically along the coastline areas.”

Sixth district Board Member Alfonso Bince Jr. said in a local news program in Dagupan yesterday that the provincial board is not changing its mind regarding the resolution as they are merely inviting the national government to see the possibility of Pangasinan hosting a nuclear power plant after extensive and careful study of experts on this project.

The resolution approved in February 2010 was forwarded to the office of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo but nothing has happened so far.

Then Pangasinan fifth district Rep. Mark Cojuangco was the proponent of this idea and also sponsored a bill in Congress allowing the re-commissioning of the mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP).

Cojuangco reportedly approached President Aquino, his cousin, on this matter but no development has been heard of yet. He said that the South Korean government has commenced disposing of its KEDO Nuclear Power Plant assets. He added that there are other provinces like Cebu, Negros Occidental and General Santos that are also interested in securing the nuclear power plant.

“Let us not have moratorium on studies (of the nuclear power plant),” Bince said.

He said once the studies of experts from the University of the Philippines and the International Atomic Energy Agency would allow the hosting of the nuclear plant along the coastal areas of Pangasinan, this will be subjected to a referendum by Pangasinenses.

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=666643
Further reading much more in the article

[Parchie]

Originally Posted by Arvor

Well on a quick google search this is the latest i could find on the story :

As I said, Pangasinan is already host to Team Energy's Sual Power 1200MW and San Roque Hydro 345MW. It's hard to find a province with 4.189 MW per sq. kilometer! If the proposal to host nuclear plants pushes through, it would be a lot densier than it is today. Manufacturing plants could sprout like mushrooms in the area - a business magnet, that is.

[up_mc]

‘Power harnessed from sun to solve Mindanao’s power crisis’
BUSINESS MIRROR
SUNDAY, 31 JULY 2011 17:21 PAUL ANTHONY A. ISLA / REPORTER

SOLAR power advocates Philippine Solar Power Alliance (PSPA) claimed on Friday that the recurring brownouts in Mindanao could be fixed by solar power plants with the short time frame needed to deploy such technologies.
“The process of putting up solar power plants is the fastest among all energy technologies. A 10-megawatt [MW] solar power plant can be installed and commissioned in just six months or even less because it does not have fuel or other environmental concerns,” Dennis Ibarra, PSPA president, said.
He said the time needed to deploy the solar power projects is shorter than fossil fuel-based, large hydroelectric, geothermal power projects and other renewable-energy sources.
“The speed of deploying solar power plants can be attributed to over 40 years of installation and connection experience by established companies that are now keen on investing in Mindanao. Local and international solar companies can produce at least 400 MW of electricity to deal with power shortages if the government allows them,” he said.
As of May 2011, Ibarra said 40 local and international project applications were submitted to the Department of Energy (DOE).
He added that these projects, if allowed to produce 10 MW each, can generate 400 MW of clean and renewable power.
He said the power-supply shortage has been causing intermittent outages in Mindanao throughout the year and that reports indicate that power reserve levels remain low at only 100 MW during peak hours.
Ibarra said Mindanao’s power-generating capacity is heavily reliant on weather and water supply as about 50 percent of the electricity generated is from hydroelectric power plants.
The DOE, however, has put a 50-MW cap on solar energy installation target for three years.
Thus, the PSPA has been appealing to the DOE to increase its installation targets to 269 MW instead of 50 MW.
“The Renewable Energy Act of 2008 does not prioritize or discriminate against different renewable-energy technologies, but calls for a balanced set of technologies, along with their distinct features and applications,” Ibarra said.

a 50 MW cap for solar energy?

[up_mc]

related news

Philippines risks losing investors in solar projects

Philippine Daily Inquirer
7:55 pm | Sunday, July 31st, 2011


Local solar developers have warned the government that the country could lose some $650 million (more than P27 billion) in potential investments in the energy sector if it kept the installation target for solar facilities at a mere 50 megawatts.

According to the Philippine Solar Power Alliance (PSPA), the 50-MW installation target would only bring in $150 million in investments, as opposed to a target of 269 MW, which could bring investments to as much as $800 million.

“The [difference of] $650 million in investments that proponents are already prepared to make in the Philippines will seek other markets instead and we will again miss this chance. The Philippines is not the only Asean country with sufficient [sunlight],” PSPA said in a statement.

The group also pointed out that the Department of Energy has actually announced an installation target of 269 MW for the solar sector during the National Renewable Energy Program launch last June. However, the initial submission to the National Renewable Energy Board saw a reduction to 100 MW. The final figure submitted last month was further cut to 50 MW.

The installation target referred to the total capacity of renewable energy facilities that will be allowed to be constructed within a three-year period.

PSPA president Dennis Ibarra said there was no reason to lower the installation target to 50 MW as the additional capacity and investments in the solar energy sector would “have positive economic multiplier effects and will contribute a substantial amount of taxes on income, property and on the importation of equipment.”

“For power consumers, 269 MW of solar power facilities would mean cheaper sources of energy as it will reduce electricity prices in the near future,” Ibarra added.

Ibarra also pointed out that there was much interest in solar power in the Philippines as there were, as of May this year, pending applications for solar renewable energy service contracts from at least 40 local and international developers. These proposed projects could readily generate more than 400 MW in additional capacity.

Based on documents from the Department of Energy, the Philippine affiliate of Belgium-based Enfinity filed applications for solar projects that could generate 192 MW in 15 sites, including in the off-grid islands as well as the economic zones in Clark, Cavite, Mactan and Zamboanga City.

Other project applications from Lopez-owned First Philec, Ayala-led PhilNewEnergy and international players Youil and Sunconnex, among others, ensured that “far more than 31 MW of solar power are ready to be commissioned in the Philippines.”—Amy R. Remo

[rapuy]

Hmm... ngayon ko lang nalaman na may cap pala sa installation targets for solar. I have not read it somewhere in the RE Act. Siguro kasama yun sa implementing guidelines nila.

I think, it is necessary to put a cap on the capacity of solar energy installed to cushion the effect of sudden electricity price hike to electricity end-users once it is installed. As of now, masyadong mahal pa talaga ang solar power. As far as I know, the FIT rate for solar power is P17.95 per kWh. Mas mahal pa sa current rates at around P10 per KWh.

I wouldn't wonder kung bakit nagmamadali ang mga investor na mag put up ng solar power plants. FIT's will only be good for a certain year, tapos, bababa na ang presyo pag established since halos free naman ang fuels for RE.

The government has a really tough job of balancing things here. How to encourage investments in RE while keeping the rates of electricity affordable. I am thinking, kung pwede pa nila pabababaan ang FIT rates. Or a more dynamic pricing for FIT. Let them compete somehow, naturally with conventional power plants, and let us decide kung anong RE talaga ang mas feasible.

[rapuy]

A 50 MW cap on solar energy is reasonable. That is very big compared to the current installed capacity of 1 MW. It's a way of minimizing risk economically since di pa gaanong established ang technology nito. At para ma-weigh muna kung anong epekto nito sa atin bago tayo mag jump into something that big.