DOE targets faster RE applications

The Department of Energy (DOE) is working to further reduce the application process for renewable energy (RE) from 45 days to just 25 days for its speedy implementation to meet the energy needs of the country.

This is compliance with President Rodrigo Duterte’s mandate to speed up processing of public dealings across all government agencies, DOE Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella said.

“We are looking at implementing section 23 of the DOE Act, which provides for 10 calendar days for other agencies to act and resolve pending DOE projects and DOE endorsed projects,” he said.

The DOE will initially streamline its the processing before working with other government agencies, the government official said.

“We will work within the DOE to streamline our own process then we will have a dialog, and a MOA (memorandum of agreement) if possible, with other agencies,” Fuentebella said.

Once all issues are threshed out, the DOE will propose to Malacañang to make it an executive order to formalize the agreements among agencies, DOE official said.

A law could also be passed by Congress to institutionalize a faster application process for RE projects.

“We also welcome the initiative from the legislature to come up with a law to have a one-stop shop for all energy projects to address inter-agency and LGU (local government unit) concerns,” Fuentebella said.

For now, the DOE is using Energy Virtual One Shared System (EVOSS) to speed up the application process. The EVOSS is a Web-based monitoring system for energy project applications, information and permits.

During the Aquino administration, former energy secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla streamlined the process of RE project approvals accelerating the application process from 100 days down to nearly 45 days.