Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development (CEED) on Friday lambasted the Department of Energy’s (DOE) lack of urgency for the country’s energy transition.
The group said despite the president’s commitment to advance renewable energy in his 2023 State of the Nation Address, budget briefings held by the House of Representatives have indicated otherwise.
“We would find more assurance in the DOE’s sense of urgency for an energy transition if the Department reflects in the budget they present to Congress that it intends to invest financial resources and expertise in giving people the reliable, sustainable, and affordable electricity they deserve,” said Avril de Torres, Deputy Executive Director of CEED.
During the budget presentation, members of Congress queried the DOE about the alignment of its renewable energy program with the 1.5ºC goal of the Paris Agreement.
CEED found the energy secretary’s response to the questions “to be dismissive”. Secretary Raphael Lotilla told lawmakers that “the ‘50% renewables by 2040 target is already the Philippines’ contribution to global climate ambition.”
De Torres said the target “is low and late based on the latest available climate science, which says that we should strive for as high as 85% by 2030 if we are to be aligned to the 1.5C goal”.
She also expressed concern over the exclusion of government funding for renewable energy storage development.
She questioned Secretary Lotilla’s assertion that the power sector is solely under private sector control, asserting that the DOE has the capacity and mandate to play a leading role in shaping the energy sector.
The think-tank also highlighted the DOE’s apparent alignment with fossil fuel companies in the belief that renewable energy cannot provide baseload power.
De Torres emphasized the potential of the Philippines for renewables, pointing out that a diverse mix of resources could meet flexible power requirements.
“Storage technologies are also improving rapidly. We would find more assurance in the DOE’s sense of urgency for an energy transition if the Department reflects in the budget they present to Congress that it intends to invest financial resources and expertise in giving people the reliable, sustainable, and affordable electricity they deserve,” she said.
