Lapid Advocates for Renewable Energy to Address Brownouts
Senator Lito Lapid has emphasized the importance of renewable energy in addressing the frequent brownouts experienced in Negros Occidental, Panay Island, and other areas in the Philippines. Unlike fossil fuels, renewable energy sources such as solar, hydropower, wind, geothermal, and biomass do not emit greenhouse gases, making them clean and sustainable alternatives.
With the high heat index during summer, Lapid suggests that the abundant sunlight in the Philippines can be harvested through solar panels to supply the power grid in various towns or provinces. He encourages more private companies to invest in the solar industry to meet the electricity supply shortage.
During his visit to Bacolod City and Himamaylan, Negros Occidental, Lapid learned about the frequent brownouts in Western Visayas due to the lack of electricity supply by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP). He expressed hope that the brownouts that occurred in Iloilo from January to March 2024 will not recur, emphasizing that a sufficient power supply is crucial for business, employment, and income generation, thereby contributing to the country’s stability and development.
On April 8, President Bongbong Marcos, Jr. inaugurated the Cebu-Negros-Panay Backbone Project Stage 3 (CNP3) in Brgy. Mansilgan, Bacolod City. This project, which is expected to address brownouts in Western Visayas, has an overall capacity of 3,800 megaVolt Amperes (MVA). It includes 442 circuit kilometers of new transmission lines, 98 circuit kilometers of submarine cables, and the construction of six new substations.
Lapid supports President BBM’s initiative to solve the electricity shortage not only in Negros but across the Philippines. He commends the President’s efforts to develop and strengthen the use of renewable energy sources, especially amid the El Nino phenomenon, and advocates for incentives for renewable energy generators.
Congressman Dino Yulo and Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson have also expressed support for Lapid’s call to boost the use of renewable energy. They assured that they would welcome companies wanting to invest in power generation in the province.
Furthermore, Lapid called on his colleagues to expedite the passage of Senate Bill No. 2138, which seeks to promote the use of renewable energy technology in homes. According to this bill, Republic Act No. 9513 declared it the state’s policy to increase the utilization of renewable energy by institutionalizing the development of national and local capabilities in the use of renewable energy systems. It also promotes its efficient and cost-effective commercial application by providing fiscal and nonfinancial incentives.
The bill also highlights the net metering program, which allows and encourages individuals or businesses to generate their own renewable energy and feed the excess electricity back into the grid, receiving credits or payments for the energy they produce. This program encourages investment in renewable energy technologies such as solar panels or wind turbines, thereby increasing the amount of renewable energy generated, reducing reliance on fossil fuels, and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions.
Lapid concluded by emphasizing that the government has set targets to increase the amount of renewable energy in the energy mix, and that net metering can help achieve these targets by encouraging the production of renewable energy at a local level.