LIAR! LIAR!
Group accuses DOE of misleading the public

By Erly C. Garcia

Members of the Visayas for Renewable Energy (V-Free), a newly formed organization composed of power stakeholders in the Visayas, accused the Department of Energy (DOE) of misleading the people into believing that there is a looming power shortage in Western Visayas region to justify the entry of coal-fired power plants.

Mark Vincent Israel of the Cebu Alliance for Renewable Energy said the DOE has a record of flawed forecasts that proved to be a burden on the part of the people.

He cited the department's flawed forecasts in the early 1990s that resulted to an oversupply of power in Luzon .

Israel said the oversupply consequently raised power rates in Luzon .

“The DOE has been projecting so much,” Israel said, adding “the Filipinos are the ones paying the high price of (DOE's) flawed forecasts.”

The DOE forecasts that Panay island will be needing about 430 MW by 2015, an increase of more than 100% from the present power requirement of 216 MW.

However, in their own analysis, V-Free claimed that the Visayas Grid has a reserve capacity of 396 megawatts (MW) enough to sustain the power needs of entire Visayas region.

It even questioned the export of 458 MW surplus from the Leyte-Samar Grid to Luzon when it can be used to compliment the power needs of the Western Visayas region.

In this regard, V-Free called on the DOE to hold a multi-stakeholders power development and planning (MSPDP) for the sake of transparency.

The group contends that there is no need to allow the entry of additional coal-fired power plants in the country, referring to the proposals for Concepcion and Barotac Viejo, Iloilo , as similar energy sources are already being banned in other parts of the world for health and environmental reasons.

In a statement the group said “(W)e still cast our future on renewable energy as we are blessed with 3,882 MW untapped potentials of geothermal, wind, bagasse, and small hydro in the entire Visayas region.”

“As stakeholders, we are holding the DOE accountable to honor its publicly declared mandate of making the Visayas its model for renewable energy as enshrined in the new Philippine Energy Plan (PEP),” the statement further reads.

The group cited that in 2004 DOE Undersecretary Mañalac declared in the Bonn International Renewable Energy Conference the country's target of doubling renewable energy capacity by 2013.

“We demand that the department match its words with actions. The moment is now, and Visayas more than anywhere else, presents the government the best chance to showcase its declaration to lead in Renewable Energy (RE) development since the region hosts abundant RE resources.

“In this context, we find it unacceptable therefore that DOE prescribes dirty coal plants for the Visayas and we will continue to vigorously oppose their entry. We cannot be intimidated nor held hostage by baseless threats of looming blackouts as this only encourages hasty and flawed decisions,” the group's statement further reads.

Relatedly, V-Free plans to hold a synchronized campaign in the entire Visayas region against the entry of coal-fired power plants.

Last April 18 and 19 the group which includes representatives coming from Cebu , Eastern Visayas and Negros held the Visayas Energy Campaign Planning Workshop in preparation for their future activities.

Dan Del Rosario of the Responsible Ilonggos for Sustainable Energy (Rise) said with the bonding of their group with other organizations coming from different parts of the Visayas they expect a stronger and more effective movement to protect the Visayans from the entry of destructive energy sources.