DU30 administration on the right track on power strategy
IN the hearing last week, Congressman Suarez pointed out how the revenue derived from the power plants, if operational, will be shared by the barangay, municipality, and the province. Following his logic, this would mean medical assistance, education, and livelihood for all the members of the community.
The benefits a power plant can give a community can be seen in already existing plants in Pagbilao and Mauban, with no reported case of any kind of safety or health hazard, which should further urge the immediate approval for the power plant in the nearby Atimonan.
And of course, we must look to the bigger picture: That our nation’s power supply is an immediate concern if we want to fully achieve the Duterte administration’s” BUILD BUILD BUILD” agenda.
If we demonize coal, and totally ditch the technology as a means of generating power, then we are crippling ourselves, and even shooting ourselves in the foot.
My fearless forecast would be that if we stop the building of coal power plants, we will be having a similar power crisis as the one that we had to endure in the 1990s, with widespread and extended blackouts.
This power crisis will handicap our economic development. We’ll see businesses close down, more Filipinos will lose their jobs, and our economy as a whole will take a big blow.
And despite all the efforts of some groups in the past month to bring down the administration’s “Build Build Build” agenda, I read a good news two weeks ago that the Palace has issued Executive Order 30 streamlining approval of energy projects.
The President issued the EO 30 classifying energy projects to be of national significance. This means that the various processes of licensing and permitting implementations will be harmonized and streamlined.
This is good news for upcoming potential energy projects particularly power plants, because we need the most reliable power at the least possible cost. As long as the government and regulating bodies like the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) enforce the proper and legal process for all energy projects, ensuring compliance with all the rules and regulations, while prioritizing projects of national significance, then I believe this is one big step for our economy.