Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said a comprehensive implementation and better fund utilization of the Energy Virtual One-Stop Shop (EVOSS) system will attract more renewable energy (RE) investments in the country.
Gatchalian, who is vice-chairperson of the Senate committee on energy, said in a statement yesterday the EVOSS completion rate stands at 85 percent since it was enacted in 2019, based on the November 2023 data of the Department of Energy (DOE).
“The environmental and economic benefits that we can derive from using renewable energy are enormous. Aside from generating cleaner energy, renewable fuels would diversify our energy supply and would significantly reduce our dependence on imports. This is why we pushed for the enactment of the EVOSS because the country will greatly benefit from this,” Gatchalian said.
EVOSS is an online system that unifies and streamlines applications and permitting processes for power generation, transmission and distribution projects.
It also serves as a repository of information and permits, shared by all agencies and entities involved in the approval process. The system also offers paperless transactions and utilization of online payment systems for all fees imposed on applications.
Gatchalian said the DOE should fully roll out the EVOSS system, noting the Board of Investments’ recent announcement that more RE projects, including the manufacturing of equipment for RE projects, are in the pipeline this year.
He also said while the budget disbursement rate for the EVOSS Act increased to 89 percent in September 2023 from 13 percent in 2022, the obligation rate declined to 48 percent last September from 83 percent in 2022.
“The DOE should be aggressive in its implementation because EVOSS aims to eliminate any foreseeable impediment to renewable energy investments… We expect more investors for RE projects to enter the country if we facilitate the process of establishing these projects,” Gatchalian added.
