• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Negros Occidental provincial government is expanding its renewable energy initiative by planning to shift irrigation systems from fuel-powered operations to solar energy, aiming to reduce costs and improve efficiency for farmers and irrigators.
Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said the move forms part of a broader strategy to promote sustainable energy solutions while extending services to underserved communities and the agriculture sector.
“We want to help irrigators. Instead of using fuel to run their irrigation systems, maybe we can use solar. We are planning to do that,” Lacson said.
The provincial government is eyeing that the savings generated from its solar power program will be reinvested into communities that still lack electricity access.
The solar installations now supply at least 40 percent of the power requirements of key provincial buildings, generating estimated annual savings of P9.637 million.
Lacson said the savings from the use of solar power energy forms part of the provincial government budget.
The provincial government’s solar power initiative also aligns with the directive of the Inter-Agency Energy Efficiency and Conservation Committee led by the Department of Energy through Resolution No. 8, Series of 2023, which requires government entities to source at least 20 percent of their energy requirements from renewable energy sources. | GB
