PHL installed RE capacity rose in Q1

BY LENIE LECTURA – JUNE 3, 2021
from Business Mirror

In photo: Energy Development Corp.’s 150-megawatt Burgos wind power project in Ilocos Norte

The country’s total renewable energy (RE) installed capacity in the first quarter rose to 5,695.82 megawatts (MW) from 4,971.72MW in the same period a year ago.

Of the total, 5,519.37 MW were for grid use while 176.46MW were for own use.

Based on DOE data posted on its website, a total of 927 RE projects were recorded. Of which, 407 are hydro, 307 solar, 87 biomass, 86 wind, 32 geothermal and 8 ocean projects.

In terms of capacity, the capacity of geothermal reached 1,928.07MW; hydro, 1,440.02MW; solar, 1095.51MW; wind, 442.91MW; and biomass, 789.32MW.

The Department of Energy (DOE) is targeting a 37.3-percent RE share in the power mix by 2030 and 55.8 percent by 2040.

To meet this target, the renewable portfolio standards (RPS) program of the government must go up to 2.5 percent from 1 percent.

The RPS program requires distribution utilities to tap eligible RE facilities for a portion of their supply needs. It is among the measures under the Renewable Energy Act of 2008 to raise RE production and meet renewables targets.

AC Energy President Eric Francia had urged the government to raise the RPS target in order to meet the target numbers.

“My hope is that over time, the government will increase that. At the current level of RPS which is at 1 percent annual increment, we will not get to the 35 percent share of RE output by 2030. We are currently at 21 percent,” he said.

“If we are serious to be at 35 percent, we agree with NREB (National Renewable Energy Board) that the 1 percent increment must go up to 2.5 percent by 2023 or 2024.”