Conservation scheme eyes gov’t energy use

Aquino said the signing of the Administrative Order, or AO, 15 directing the accelerated implementation of the Government Energy Management Program, or GEMP, will complement the energy efficiency goal

TOKYO, Japan — Similar to the Japanese practice of energy efficiency, the Department of Energy, or DoE, is bullish on tempering the country’s spiking power demand by strictly regulating consumption, starting with government offices.

“What we saw at the presentation of our Japanese partners here is that there is at least 10 percent reduction in energy demand and they said it was due to energy efficiency,” Energy Director Patrick T. Aquino said in an interview with reporters here.

“Similar to that, in the Philippines, while we are pursuing renewable energy, nuclear, and hydrogen, we should also pursue energy efficiency. We can increase energy efficiency without sacrificing productivity,” he added.

Thus, Aquino said the signing of the Administrative Order, or AO, No. 15 directing the accelerated implementation of the Government Energy Management Program, or GEMP, will complement the energy efficiency goal.

AO 15 highlights the implementation of Republic Act 11285 or the Energy Efficiency and Conservation, or EEC, Act in all government entities under the executive branch, including government-owned and controlled corporations, or GOCCs, government financial institutions, or GFIs, their subsidiaries, and state universities and colleges, or SUCs.

Energy Secretary Raphael Perpetuo Lotilla, for his part, reiterated that AO 15 will help mitigate energy demand, especially with the onset of El Niño.

“It advocates a shift to a sustainable energy lifestyle with the government setting a strong example,” Lotilla said.

AO within a month

The DoE will release the implementing guidelines of the AO within 30 days from the effectivity of the Order.

The GEMP implementation is guided by the Inter-Agency Energy Efficiency and Conservation Committee, or IAEECC, created under the EEC Act.

It aims to reduce the whole government’s electricity and fuel consumption by at least 10 percent through energy efficiency and conservation, or EEC, strategies.

IAEECC is tasked to prepare an annual assessment of opportunities for energy cost reduction in all government instrumentalities and mandating the adoption of energy-efficient measures and technologies.

In 2023, with the institutionalization of GEMP, the government reached a total electricity savings of more than P300 million or an equivalent of over 30 million kWh and more than P25 million in fuel savings or an equivalent of 386,083.59 liters of fuel.

These savings are the result of 1,210 audited government offices out of the estimated 8,000 total entities identified.

The accelerated implementation of GEMP under AO 15 is estimated to result in up to nearly P2 billion in savings for both electricity and fuel, based on the average savings from 2023.

Specifically, AO 15 directs the conduct of energy audits, submission of inventory of existing energy-consuming equipment, and timelines for upgrading to more energyefficient equivalents

AO 15 also institutionalizes the designation of an EEC Officer and Focal Persons in each government entity, compliance with the DoE-GEMP Online System, preparation of the EEC programs, and allocation of appropriate amounts for the implementation of planned energy management programs.