Consumer and Catholic environmental groups have challenged the Quezon provincial government’s decision to exempt a proposed 1,200-megawatt coal-fired power plant from an ordinance restricting coal expansion.
The Power for People Coalition said the exemption for Atimonan One Energy undermines the measure passed June 15 to regulate existing coal operations and prohibit their expansion in the province.
“Regulation to restrict coal anywhere in the country is welcome, yet the Provincial Government of Quezon exempted the A1E coal-fired plant despite the project clearly being a move to expand coal in the region,” P4P convenor Gerry Arances said.
The coalition said Quezon residents have opposed coal expansion for a decade. It also questioned the project’s compliance with environmental impact studies and called on provincial officials to address community concerns.
According to P4P, the ordinance was patterned after an October 2025 Department of Energy advisory identifying projects not covered by the national coal moratorium. The coalition said the advisory effectively weakened the moratorium.
Arances warned that continued coal dependence would expose consumers to “high prices of electricity, unreliable electrical capacity, environmental damages, and health risks for host communities.”
Father Warren Puno, regional coordinator of the Luzon South Laudato Si Convergence, said coal aggravates the climate crisis and releases pollutants that threaten human health and the environment.
He urged the governor and the provincial board to listen to residents and ensure that consultations are not treated as a formality.
“At kung tunay na walang puwang ang coal sa Quezon, ipagbawal niyo ang A1E. Ang kalikasan, kalusugan, at kinabukasan ay walang exemption,” Puno said.
Arances called for a nationwide prohibition on the expansion of coal and other fossil fuels.
“Let A1E be an example. Prohibit the expansion of coal and all fossil fuels to protect consumers against financial, environmental, and physical dangers,” he said.
