Lotilla denies favoring coal over RE sources

By Alena Mae S. Flores – July 19, 2024, 10:25 pm
from manilastandard.net

Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla

Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla on Friday denied that the Department of Energy (DOE) is favoring coal over renewable energy in power generation.

“Diversification of energy sources is critical to energy security. Unfortunately, we get pilloried for favoring solar and wind over coal and get charged for favoring coal over renewable energy. This leaves us with a reassuring feeling that we are getting the damn thing right,” Lotilla said.

Meanwhile, the DOE’s Electric Power Industry Management Bureau (Power Bureau) said the coal moratorium policy issued in December 2020 is not a total ban.

The Power Bureau said the policy does not cover existing and operational coal-fired power generation facilities as well as any coal-fired power projects considered committed power projects.

It also excludes existing power plant complexes which already have firm expansion plans and existing land site provisions; and indicative power projects with substantial accomplishments, particularly with signed and notarized land acquisition or lease agreement and with approved permits or resolution from local government units and the Regional Development Council, it said.

The bureau said the parameters are explicitly provided under item 2 of the coal moratorium policy. It said that after a thorough review and verification, the DOE issues at the request of a project proponent a certification that a project is not covered by the moratorium.

Several proponents of coal-fired power projects requested the DOE’s confirmation on non-coverage and these were ministerially issued after verification, it said.

“The Power Bureau described allegations of arbitrariness in the issuance of certifications as unfounded,” it said.