• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The SecuRe Energy Roadmap (Energy Sector Development Strategy and Action Plan) of the Negros Occidental provincial government got support from the Department of Energy (DOE) and various stakeholders.
Provincial consultant on energy and environmental concerns Rafael Coscolluela presented the roadmap, which spells out a comprehensive program in line with the goal of securing Reliable, Renewable, Accessible, Affordable, Available and Sustainable Energy Occidental Negros by 2030 (RRAAASE-ON 2030), during a multi-sectoral session with stakeholders at Nature’s Village in Talisay City yesterday.
He said that the Energy Development Roadmap of Negros Occidental is a blueprint co-created through extensive consultation with stakeholders over the past months.
It embodies the SecuRE Negros goal of making Negros Occidental an energy-secure province, he added.
Energy Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella, who spoke at the activity, described the presentation of Coscolluela as “very inspiring”, noting that it was also well studied.
“It really inspires us to give more support to his endeavor,” Fuentebella said.
SecuRE Negros’ vision is to make Negros Occidental an energy secure province, with a goal of transforming the energy sector as a source of reliable, renewable, affordable, accessible, available and sustainable energy for the province by 2030.
As of June 2022, Negros Occidental has a total installed renewable energy capacity of 510.10 megawatts (MW), with dependable capacity of 379.9MW. Inspite of this, according to the study of SecuRE Negros, the province has been experiencing power outages and increasing power rates, and not directly consuming its locally generated power.
In order to improve energy security and mitigate climate change impacts, the study recommends that the provincial government should consider not just working for improvements within the current centralized system, but also to pave the way for building a decentralized power system through a distributed energy system (DES), or distributed energy resource (DER) model.
DES or DER models utilize smaller power generation and storage systems to power homes, businesses and communities, taking advantage of renewable energy sources to produce power.
The SecuRE Negros Roadmap aims to achieve several objectives, including minimum 35 percent renewable energy share in power generation, mix of the three distribution utilities by 2030, and 100 percent by 2050, with increased utilization of locally produced and embedded renewable energy and a functional RE market, among others.
In order to ensure effective implementation of courses of action, the study recommended the enactment of the Provincial Energy Code.
The enactment of the Provincial Energy Code, as mandated, will ensure that the campaign for power security and energy sector development is not only institutionalized, but also coordinated and implemented and sustained effectively.
It will likewise ensure inclusive participation of industry stakeholders in all matters concerning energy, it added.
Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson expressed his enthusiasm for the upcoming summit, saying that the launch of the Energy Development Roadmap “is a testament to our collective commitment to ensuring power security for the province and staying at the forefront of the renewable energy revolution”.
“It is a call to action for all Negrenses to unite and build a future where energy is sustainable, reliable and accessible to all,” he added.
Various stakeholders, along with Lacson and Vice Gov. Jeffrey Ferrer, signed a covenant of commitment to commit a unified vision of a sustainable and energy secure future for Negros Occidental.
“Recognizing that a decisive transition to renewable energy, accompanied by appropriate transformation of the energy sector, along with other relevant measures and stakeholder involvement, are key strategies that will not only help attain this vision, but also economic resilience, environmental preservation and social well-being in the province, we agree to collectively support the goals and programs set forth in the SecuRE Negros Roadmap,” they said. | GB
