The Department of Energy (DOE) expressed optimism the country can achieve a low-carbon scenario saying energy efficiency and conservation measures will lead to slower growth of of total primary energy supply (TPES).
TPES refers to the total amount of energy that a country has at its disposal including imported energy, exported energy and energy extracted from natural resources.
“Coal and oil shares will also continue to decrease due to the use of alternative fuels for transport, among others. This also translates to a power generation mix that shifts from being coal—centered to one where renewable energy (RE), natural gas and other emerging clean energy technologies will have increased shares,” said DOE Secretary Alfonso Cusi.
At an online forum with other ministers and top government officials in Southeast Asia, Cusi said combined clean energy sources in the country will reach more than 66 percent of the total generation by 2040 as the government is currently prioritizing the issuance of the National Renewable Energy Program 2020-2040 to achieve the envisioned target of around 34,000 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy installations by 2040.
Cusi said the Philippine Energy Plan 2018-2040 has been updated to reflect recent global developments, including the impact of the pandemic on the energy sector.
The DOE said one of the key updates in the plan targets to increase the production of clean and indigenous sources of energy to meet the economic development of the country as well as to decrease the wasted energy through efficiency tools and strategies.
Another update is to ensure balance for provisions of reliable and reasonably priced energy services, support for economic growth and protection of the environment.
As of end-2019, the country had a total installed on-grid capacity of 25,531 MW, 7,399 MW of which are from RE sources comprised of hydro, geothermal, wind, biomass and solar as coal remained the top power source with a share of 10,417 MW.
