NEA eyes RE for rural electrification

THE National Electrification Administration ( NEA) is considering tapping renewable energy ( RE) sources to speed up the energization of rural areas in the Philippines.

According to NEA Administrator Edgardo Masongsong, these include solar photovoltaic ( PV) mainstreaming or solar home systems for areas not connected to the main grid.

This came a week after he urged electric cooperatives ( ECs) to “think outside opportunities extended by the European Union- Access to Sustainable Energy Programme ( EU- ASEP) and World Bank to provide electricity to areas without it.

“The challenge now for ECs is if you do not want to give up your franchise area, or a portion of it, even the unviable locations that are still unserved, you have to

“The way to fast- track electrification is to install solar home systems, to adopt PV

The state- run agency has alloted for next year P1.163 billion for the government’s sitio electrification program and an additional P165 million for RE projects, which include installing 5,000 solar home systems.

Solar PV mainstreaming is a Department of Energy ( DoE) program funded by the EU- ASEP through the World Bank.

The LGU Guarantee Corp. ( LGU- GC) acts as program manager, while NEA serves as an implementing agency, since it oversees 121 ECs in the country.

Beneficiaries of the program include sitios in the franchise areas of the North Cotabato Electric Cooperative Inc. ( Cotelco), South Cotabato II Electric Cooperative Inc. ( Socoteco II), Davao del Sur Electric Cooperative Inc. ( Dasureco), and Sultan Kudarat Electric Cooperative Inc. ( Sukelco).

An initial 10,000 solar home systems will be installed.

“We’ve allocated 2,500 solar PV units for Barangay Little Baguio in Malita alone. With this solar home system, there is no need for us to procure the right-of-way for our lines, because there are no lines passing through the private Dasureco General Manager Godofredo Guya said.

Data showed that 19,740 sitios still don’t have power:, 1,003 in Mindanao, 557 in the Visayas, and 142 in Luzon. Of the total number, 1,702 are in off- grid areas.

As of NEA, through power co- ops, reduced the number of sitios without power by 1,809 to 17,931.