ILOILO CITY – Senator Edgardo Angara yesterday said he is supporting the proclamation of Western Visayas as a model for renewable energy development and utilization by the Department of Energy.

At the regional Renewable Energy Congress here, he told advocates to ask the Regional Development Council 6 to make a request to the DOE and he will facilitate the proclamation.

“You should write a petition to DOE, I will facilitate it to get the proclamation,” Angara, the main author of the newly-signed Renewable Energy Act of 2008, said.

Angara, however, said it is not possible to have a pure renewable energy region or locality.  Each locality should determine the ratio between the use of renewable and traditional energy sources, he added.

“I think it’s unscientific and impractical to say that, from now on, we will have a hundred percent renewable energy because that is not possible,” the senator said.     

He also said, though, that there is a tremendous interest in renewables, and by 2014, almost $400 billion will be invested in the industry.

“There’s now a global movement and even governments and regulatory bodies are pushing for renewables,” he said.          

At yesterday’s gathering, investors from Trans-Asia Power Generation Corp. – wind power, Solar Electric Co. – solar energy, Sunwest Water and Electric – hydro power, ASEA One – waste to energy, Central Azucarera de San Antonio – biomass cogeneration, Global Green Power, Plc Corp. – sustainable biomass power, and Energy Development Corp. – geothermal, presented their initiatives.

Angara’s Renewable Energy Act of 2008 seeks to accelerate the development and use of the Philippines’ vast renewable energy resources through fiscal and non-fiscal incentives for investors.

Investors in wind, solar, ocean, run-of-river hydro power and biomass are assured a secure market through feed-in tariffs.

The law also provides incentives such as duty-free importation of equipment, tax credit on domestic capital equipment and services, special realty tax rates, income tax holidays, net operating loss carry-over, accelerated depreciation and exemption from the universal charge and wheeling charges.

It also institutionalizes a Renewable Portfolio Standard, requiring the power utilities to obtain a certain portion of their electricity from clean, home-grown renewable energy sources.

DECLARATION

Participants also signed a declaration, introduced by RISE co-convenor Melvin Purzuelo, committing to advocate and practice energy efficiency and substantially increase the share of renewable energy in the total energy supply of the region.

The declaration also stated that the signatories champion Western Visayas as the country’s model for renewable energy development and utilization.

They will also work toward achieving 100 percent renewable energy target for region. This is through the enactment of policies and regulations that will optimize the use of renewable energy sources, and accessing technical and financial assistance to renewable energy programs that will enhance technology transfer and indigenization, and capacity building to support local manufacture of renewable energy systems’ components.

The Western Visayas Renewable Energy Congress was organized by the Regional Development Council Region 6, League of Provinces-Visayas, University of the Philippines-Visayas, and Responsible Ilonggos for Sustainable Energy.*NLG

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