The Energy Department will continue its push to promote the use of renewable energy by attracting investors to put up businesses here so that the country will not be continuously dependent on imported fuels.

During the Laging Handa Public Briefing on Tuesday, Director Rodela Romero of the DoE Oil Industry Management Bureau said that apart from ensuring that the energy supply is adequate and sufficient, they are now focusing on the promotion of RE such as solar, wind, hydroelectric and biomass.

"We are doing it so that we will not be that dependent on imported fuel, and the promotion and use of alternative sources of energy. That's why we are promoting e-vehicles to also help with the issue of imported fuels. We are affected by those problems involving fuel because we can say that we are too dependent on foreign fuels," Romero said.

Earlier, the DoE said it plans to bid out 21 renewable energy sites for private sector development.

Energy assistant secretary Mylene Capongcol said the agency was initially looking at bidding out 15 hydro, three geothermal, and three wind sites by next year, which include those service contracts that were terminated.