House vows to pass more energy bills

The House committee on energy chaired by Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Jay Velasco has vowed to pass more bills that would benefit energy consumers.

At the committee’s first hearing on Monday, Velasco said the energy panel will shepherd legislation guided by the overarching principle of providing reliable, sufficient, sustainable and affordable electricity.

“We should also be guided that the work of this committee is a crucial component and an indispensable partner of the Duterte administration’s economic planning.”

He added: “We cannot have build build build mentality if we cannot provide sufficient energy in the countryside.”

Among the bills the committee would prioritize include the bill establishing the energy institute which will research on energy matters, the microgrid bill and the strengthening of the Energy Regulation Commission (ERC) bill.

The panel will also deliberate soon on the energy policy mix bill as well as the downstream natural gas policy and the liquefied natural gas bills.

Velasco has also vowed to pass legislation on renewable energy, as this was highlighted by President Duterte in his last State of the Nation Address, as well as bills on solar energy, waste to energy and electric vehicles.

For affordable energy, the committee will soon discuss bills on retail competition and open access of electricity and the biofuels.

A bill benefiting electric cooperatives will also be prioritized, according to Velasco.

Velasco has vowed to surpass what the committee did in the past Congress and craft a minimum of six bills with national importance.

Among the bills that the committee has passed last year, five were enacted into law.

The Republic Act 11039 or the Electric Cooperatives Emergency and Resiliency Fund Act, Republic Act 11234 or the Energy Virtual One Stop Shop and Republic Act 11285 or the Murang Kuryente Act are among these bills.

For affordable energy, the committee will soon discuss bills on retail competition and open access of electricity and the biofuels.

Velasco told the Daily Tribune that his committee will finish the bill on ERC and the energy institute bill before the end of the year, considering that a similar version of these bills has already passed the third and final reading by the 17th Congress.

“Hopefully, I’ll finish it before the end of the year and even the energy institute,” he said.

Aside from the mentioned bills, Velasco sought the help of the Department of Energy (DoE) in crafting a law that would address trash problem.

“For the 18th Congress one of the things that I myself would like to focus on is incineration. I hope the DoE can help me.”

“Incineration for our trash problem because on top of the energy security, I think we really have to focus on the trash problem here in Metro Manila and the Island provinces…” Velasco said.

Meanwhile, Energy Undersecretary Felix William Fuentabella during the hearing requested to the House of Representatives their help in the resolution of pending issues on transmission system.

“We request the assistance of the House for the resolution of the pending issues that are hampering continuous transmission system upgrades and expansion projects,” he said.

Fuentabella said due to the pending issuance of permits and decisions by these agencies’ transmission projects were delayed.

Among the agencies that he mentioned are the Departments of Agrarian Reform, Environment and Natural Resources, Education and the National Housing Authority.

“Causes of delay are undue delay in the issuance of permits and clearances as well as the writ of possession on the part of judiciary,” Fuentabella said.

“We stressed that the continued delay in the transmission projects can hamper the entry of additional supply from power plants and increase the cost of electricity in the distribution utilities and ultimately to our consumers,” he added.