Advocating Renewable Energy And A Sustainable Future

The Philippines – an archipelago of about 7,000 islands – is blessed with lush, tropical rainforests. Its waters teem with both marine and freshwater life.

The landscape is greatly varied, ranging from the high mountains to the lowlands and everything else in between. The same winds that bring the two faces of weather in the country are present all-year round. The country sits on its own tectonic plate (Philippine plate) and is subject to high volcanic and seismic activity, which makes it an ideal source of geothermal energy.

Thus, despite the apparent lack of oil, the Philippines has a lot more potential sources of energy: renewable ones.

The Philippine government is currently pushing for a more aggressive campaign to utilize the country’s potential for “renewables.”

This is embodied in Republic Act 9513, otherwise known as the Renewable Energy Actof 2008. This basically lays out the foundation for different policies and goals to be undertaken by specific units.

To quote the Department of Energy, “[this] affirms the government’s commitment to accelerate the exploration and development of renewable energy resources. It also mandates the development of a ‘strategic program’ to increase its usage.” This led to the formulation of the National Renewable Energy Program or the NREP.

The NREP aims to increase the country’s renewable energy capacity from 5,400 MW (2010) to 15,304 MW by 2030. This is almost triple the currently installed renewable energy capacity.

These steps are designed for the nation’s progress. Energy security means that more people would be given better access to efficient energy distribution. No town would be left in the dark. Schools and hospitals would be able to provide better services for the people. Enough energy supplies would meet the people’s demands. In addition, power generated by renewable means will be designed to be competitively priced, if not cheaper than those coming from fossil fuels.

Renewable energy sources would also provide the people with more elbow-room for fluctuations, or the sudden rises and dips in oil prices, a cycle that is heavily dictated on by the global market. If Filipinos depended less on oil, then their livelihood would not be affected by sudden surges in oil prices. This puts their future on a more stable and secure footing. Renewable energy can also be sustainable – they can come from native sources. As such, they have greater potential for reliability.

Affordable energy and clean energy do not need to be mutually exclusive. This can be accomplished by renewable means, rather than through the use of fossil fuels. Those who will benefit from a dramatic reduction in carbon footprint are the also the people themselves. Through renewable energy, the country can maintain its natural beauty.

But as it is, the research and technology for renewable energy in the Philippines is still in its infancy. The Philippines, as a democratic republic, needs the support and movement of its own citizens.

By and in itself, the NREP still has a long way to go.

Unless Filipinos openly provide their support, then clean, efficient, and affordable sources of energy would remain a distant dream.

Let’s all support plans and projects for renewable energy utilization. Wind, solar, hydro, geothermal plants and biofuel production, let’s all keep abreast of what they promise and find out how they can help our nation thrive/