No reckless shift

The country’s energy security traces a path where it advances two steps forward and one step back based on the Department of Energy’s policy to ease the timetable to decommission coal plants.

Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla said the use of conventional coal plants should remain for years to come even as the transition to renewable energy (RE) takes place.

Investments have been made and coal plants that make up about half of the generating capacity for electricity can be reliable baseload electricity sources for 30 years.

Developing nations are at a huge disadvantage in the global RE shift as they have limited resources and finances to bankroll the projects that do not even guarantee a continuous supply of power as they are affected by shifts in the weather.

Generation from coal remains an affordable and dependable option.

Lotilla used the term “maximizing” available infrastructure to avoid added costs and, of course, the supply shortage that may occur with the shift to full RE.

Maximizing the use of the existing energy infrastructure avoids placing an added cost burden on both the economy and consumers, according to Lotilla.

While the use of RE is an international commitment, Lotilla said the government “still has the responsibility to ensure adequate baseload capacities.”

Industry data showed the country has more than 6,300 megawatts (MW) of dependable electricity from coal facilities aged 10 years or newer.

Another 3,400 MW is generated by coal plants that are between 10 and 30 years old. Even at 30 years, the lifespan of coal plants can be extended another 10 years.

The dilemma in discarding coal plants in favor of RE electricity sources is not exclusive to the Philippines as the United States, despite being among the leaders in the RE field, is finding that it cannot totally do away with coal power plants.

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) has added a burden to produce more electricity which most American states are making to review energy policies.

Retirement dates for the aging coal-fired power plants are being pushed back to ensure grid reliability.

The superpower’s effort to stay ahead in the AI race entails a greater electricity demand that clashes with its decarbonization targets.

The International Energy Agency, for instance, estimates that the AI application ChatGPT uses nearly 10 times as much electricity as Google Search.

The US has an estimated 54 gigawatts of coal plants or about 4 percent of total electricity capacity lined up for retirement within 10 years.

RE, despite the promises, has yet to develop into a dependable power source without backup from conventional power sources and their buildup falls short of what is needed to replace fossil fuel plants.

The US Department of Energy even stated that new coal plants are lined up in the next four years. Such plants will have a total capacity of 2,255 MW.

According to a Financial Times report, conventional fuels such as coal and gas remain “an indispensable source of power as they remain a cheaper alternative to baseload supply.”

“Unlike renewable energy, this type of baseload is available all day round,” the report from the authoritative publication added.

In contrast, the Philippines has a moratorium on the building of new coal plants. The ban exempts committed, indicative, and expansion plans.

A more reasonable policy must be adopted that should be tilted more toward the development needs of the economy rather than commitments from international bodies that put the burden of going green on small countries rather than the main sources of greenhouse gases which are the rich nations.