BAYAN MUNA: DIRTY COAL WINS IN MERALCO’S POWER SUPPLY AGREEMENTS
By TCP Admin – Aug 29, 2024
(The City Post)
Manila, Philippines – Bayan Muna executive vice president Carlos Isagani Zarate has criticized the outcome of Meralco’s recent competitive selection process (CSP) for new power supply agreements (PSAs), stating that “dirty coal wins” as the lowest acceptable price tenders.
Reports said the winning bids came from coal-powered plants: Masinloc Power Co. Ltd. of the San Miguel group at P5.6015 per kilowatt hour (kWh), and GNPower Dinginin Power Ltd. Co. of the Aboitiz group at P5.7392 per kWh.
Zarate also highlighted the environmental and social impacts of coal extraction, citing recent developments in Barangay Ned, Lake Sebu, South Cotabato, citing a report by online news agency, Mindanews.
The report, published on August 15, 2024 and titled “The giant trucks have come for Barangay Ned’s coal”, details how large 35-ton dump trucks now dominate the Lake Sebu-Maitum road, transporting coal from mine sites in Barangay Ned to a seaport in Maitum, Sarangani province.
San Miguel Corporation (SMC) subsidiaries aim to extract 70 million metric tons of coal from the area, which is predominantly inhabited by Tboli and Dulangan Manobo indigenous peoples.
Zarate emphasized the potential risks associated with coal mining in the region, including road deterioration, subsidence, and threats to indigenous communities. He also cited experts from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau who warned of subsidence risks due to weak soil, steep slopes, and potential sinkholes in the area.
“This is the true cost of our continued reliance on coal,” Zarate stated. “Not only are we perpetuating environmental destruction, but we’re also putting indigenous communities at risk and compromising their ancestral domains.”
Zarate called for a reevaluation of the country’s energy policies, urging a faster transition to renewable energy sources to mitigate both environmental damage and social injustices associated with fossil fuel extraction.
