Sorsogon shuns coal power plants

The province of Sorsogon has shunned coal-fired power developments and committed to be coal-free as it moves toward a sustainable future.

The provincial board has issued a resolution declaring Sorsogon as an environmentfriendly and clean energy province.

Under the resolution, all government offices in the provinces shall not issue any permit, authorization, endorsement, or support for development of coal-fired power plants within the province, citing the hazardous effects of coal to both the environment and the health of its residents.

“Consistent with this decision, the Province of Sorsogon shall…strive to develop and utilize clean and renewable energy to support energy growth,” the resolution read.

The province’s efforts in preserving the environment are aligned with its thrust for sustainable development – to protect the natural environment which is a source of livelihood for many Sorsoganons.

In line with the provincial government’s policy, its capital Sorsogon City has also confirmed its own support for this initiative by declaring itself as a “clean energy city free of coal-fired power plants.”

The city has cited its emerging potential to be an agriculture, business and eco-tourism hub in the southernmost part of Luzon.

It can also become a primary gateway to Visayas and Mindanao being strategically located as a transshipment corridor.

However, the city recognizes its vulnerability to the effects of climate change as it is frequently hit by strong typhoons and storm surges.

Hence, the resolution is aligned with the city’s initiatives on climate change adaptation and mitigation, which includes its Climate Change Project, done with the help of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme or UN Habitat.

Sorsogon already hosts the 140-megawatt (MW) BaconManito Geothermal Project of Lopez-led Energy Development Corp. It is also home to the 0.4-MW Cawayan runof-river hydropower project under Sorsogon II Electric Cooperative Inc.