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Friday, March 29, 2024

Embracing sustainable, renewable energy

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Clean energy is another name for renewable energy, which comes from natural sources or processes and can be used over and over again.

The United Nations defines renewable energy as power that comes from natural resources that can be regenerated at a faster rate than they can be used up. For instance, the sun’s rays and the wind are two examples of such sources that are continually being replenished.

Renewable sources of energy are abundant and can be found all around us.

On the other hand, coal, oil, and gas are non-renewable fossil fuels that develop over hundreds of millions of years. Burning fossil fuels produces greenhouse gas emissions like carbon dioxide.

Cleaner energy generated from renewable sources is gradually replacing traditionally used “dirty” fossil fuels in the electricity generation industry.

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Solving today’s environmental issues warrants long-term prospective initiatives for sustainable development. Renewable energy sources appear to be one of the most efficient and effective alternatives in this respect—the very reason why renewable energy and the search for sustainability are intrinsically tied.

World Wildlife Fund Philippines notes that there have been many use cases for how RE can save money as renewable sources can shield the Philippines from volatile prices of fossil-fuels like gas, oil, and coal, 90% of which are imported at wildly varying rates.

The organization opined that converting to renewable energy is the cheapest option for achieving energy independence and combating climate change.

Renewable energy sources are getting better at the same time that technology is making them cheaper. This is starting to make the promise of a more environmentally friendly energy future come true.

Despite the fact that coal and natural gas still account for 76.1% of the country’s electricity, President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. gave natural gas a boost by describing it as a “transition fuel” to renewable energy, a necessary step in achieving concrete goals in the path to RE sustainability.

Renewable energy is poised for growth in the Philippines, says the World Resources Institute (WRI), adding that the time is right for RE in the country.

Both the Philippines and Indonesia have more geothermal power plants per capita than any other Asian country. With an installed capacity of 1,918 MW, the Philippines has the third-largest geothermal power capacity in the world, after Indonesia and the US.

In fact, the Philippines’ economic and energy problems can be fixed by putting more money into the development of renewable energy. The WRI said that the country may have reached a turning point when it comes to updating its old energy infrastructure.

The Philippines’ efforts to create a sustainable energy infrastructure, according to the Department of Energy, focus on using more renewable energy sources.

Renewable energy must be at the center of the country’s plan for low-emission development in order to fight climate change, provide energy security, and increase access to energy.

Republic Act 9513 establishes the National Renewable Energy Program (NREP). It lays out the plan for reaching the goals set by the Renewable Energy Act of 2008. The NREP shows that the country is moving from a lot of different renewable energy projects to a steady push for energy security and clean energy.

Only 30% of the energy consumed in the country comes from renewable sources. The goal of the government-led National Renewable Energy Plan (NREP) is to increase RE capacity by thrice, reaching 15,304 MW by the year 2030.

To bolster these efforts, the Philippine Energy Plan 2020–2040 was developed by the agency to set lofty goals for the country’s energy transformation. Under the Plan’s Clean Energy Scenario, the Philippines wants to meet the aspirational goal of having at least 35% of its power come from renewable energy by 2030 and 50% by 2040.

The DOE has pinpointed 25 key regions where wind and solar resources are most abundant.

In addition to solar, wind, geothermal, hydro, and biomass, the country has a total potential capacity of 58,110 MW of green energy.

Moreover, the Philippines Offshore Wind Roadmap cites the country’s capacity to deploy 178 gigawatts of offshore wind power with the correct long-term vision, policies, infrastructure development, and investments.

The decision by the Marcos government to allow foreign investment of up to one hundred percent in the renewable energy sector was applauded by advocacy groups, including the Foundation for Economic Freedom.

Energy security and climate adaption measures would benefit from the influx of foreign investment in renewable energy, the FEF stated in a statement.

It deemed “correct, timely and judicious” the Department of Justice’s conclusion that renewable energy sources like the sun, wind, and oceans are not depletable “natural resources” subject to the legal limitations on foreign ownership.

The idealistic shift to renewable energy in the Philippines would ensure the country’s energy security and independence from foreign suppliers.

Furthermore, it would provide an inviting environment for investors and stimulate growth in the local economy. If the correct pieces fall into place, this would lead to increased employment and lower health care and welfare expenditures. McKinsey reported in May 2020 that government spending on renewables and energy efficiency generated three times more jobs than fossil fuels.

Since fossil fuels generate air pollution, renewable energy reduces health hazards. Renewable energy can provide electricity to everyone at lower costs.

The WRI also said that technologies for decarbonizing and decentralizing power generation that don’t need expensive, large, and hard-to-manage transmission networks in rough and inaccessible terrain would help reach total electrification.

The low-carbon energy transition, according to the WRI “will help thwart climate change and reduce the carbon intensity of the Philippines’ power sector, and improve its energy system resilience” as distributed renewable energy (DRE) systems that don’t require fuel are ideal for the Philippines’ over 7,000 islands.

With a strong focus on renewable energy, the Philippines is taking big steps after big steps toward sustainability. The future is bright for RE in the country, and it is up to each and everyone of us to do our part in achieving this lofty, but necessary goal.

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