DoE chief backed over coal ban row

DoE chief backed over coal ban row | Daily Tribune

Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla received strong support from the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) against the complaints filed by cause-oriented groups on the alleged violation of the moratorium on coal-fired power projects.

Last month, People for Power Coalition convener Gerry Arances and Sanlakas officials filed graft, grave misconduct, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service complaints at the Office of Ombudsman against Lotilla over alleged violation of a coal moratorium policy that took effect during the Duterte administration.

With this, the PCCI, the country’s largest trade organization, said the complaint has no basis as its officials recognize the excellent work that Lotilla is doing.

“We support the directions he is taking to achieve energy security and affordability for the country, the two key components to bring in investments, expand domestic enterprises, and enhance our productivity and competitiveness,” the PCCI said.

The PCCI, headed by Consul Enunina Mangio, maintained that it is not the time to unnecessarily distract the Department of Energy (DoE) from its work with misunderstandings of policies and misguided priorities.

‘Policy quite clear’

“The policy on the moratorium on coal-fired power projects is quite clear — it applies to greenfield power generation facility projects. Existing and operational coal-fired power generation facilities, coal-fired power projects classified as committed, existing power plant complexes with firm expansion plans, and projects with significant progress such as signed agreements are not affected by the moratorium,” the statement of support said.

The group said that they endorse the holistic energy solution as presented by the DoE, where coal remains an important component for economic growth while waiting for clean, reliable and affordable baseload technologies.

“While we support the need to decarbonize, we must do so in a careful manner without prejudicing the country’s economic progress,” the group said.

The PCCI emphasized that given that the Philippines is not a major carbon emitter and that it is not a wealthy country, a more pragmatic approach towards climate change needs to be emphasized, focusing our limited resources on climate adaptation.

“Let us avoid being distracted by Western policies that may be appropriate for their country contexts but not ours. We are concerned about the damages the allegations against Lotilla could cause the DoE and the whole industry. We are competing against other countries in the region in enticing foreign direct investments to come to our shores, let us not create an air of uncertainty that could dissuade these investments,” according to the PCCI.

Moreover, the group stressed the need to learn from the Panay power outage incident, the summer red and yellow alerts, and the recent typhoon “Carina” that downed electricity poles resulting in power outages.

Insecurity of supply causes harm that can affect the lives of daily consumers and businesses and ultimately hinders our country’s resilience and march toward progress, it said.

“We need to prioritize energy security to keep factories open, to keep jobs, and to ensure that families can continue to put food on the table. In light of increasingly inclement weather, we must also be mindful to invest in greater resilience of our energy systems, of which coal, gas, and other technologies can provide us greater security against high winds and strong rains. All sectors of business and our society must come together and work together behind this priority,” the business chamber said.