Environmental group Greenpeace on Thursday, June 2, called on president-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to prioritize the use of renewable energy in the country, not nuclear power.
“We have yet to see detailed plans of the incoming administration for energy development, but recent statements that nuclear energy is the ‘cleanest and cheapest’ are not true and are dangerous assertions,” said Greenpeace Campaigner Khevin Yu in a statement.
In a press conference on Wednesday, June 1, Marcos reiterated his support for nuclear power, calling it the “cleanest and cheapest” energy source.
Greenpeace’s Yu, however, said “nuclear power is the most dangerous and most expensive way to produce electricity.”
The environmental activist quoted a 2020 report by Lazard that the Levelized Cost of Operating Energy of solar is about US$36 – US$44 per Megawatts Hour compared to nuclear that costs about US$112 – US$189 per MWh.
“Pursuing nuclear energy will be a distraction from achieving energy transition, as this could derail investments on renewable energy, undermine ongoing policy efforts, propel high electricity prices, and bring in risks of radioactive contamination and nuclear meltdown,” said Yu.
He said nuclear energy also “failed to meet the basic technical, economic, social, and political criteria for a sustainable energy policy.”
“Nuclear energy will be too risky to operate in the Philippines, considering that we are constantly battered by strong typhoons and other extreme weather events, which could easily compromise the operation of a nuclear power plant,” said Yu.
The environmental campaigner called on the incoming administration of Marcos to bare its plans for when a nuclear disaster happens.
“Experience from other countries have shown that nuclear disaster cleanup and rehabilitation can reach up to hundreds of billions of dollars,” he said.
“It’s clear that nuclear power does not make any economic sense and will hinder all efforts on economic recovery,” said Yu.
He said that with about 800 Gigawatts of untapped renewable energy in the country, the priority of the new administration should be strengthening the Philippines’ transition to wind and solar energy, “which will provide reliable and cheap electricity and benefit every Filipino.”
