An alliance of groups promoting energy efficiency and conservation (EEC) in the country yesterday welcomed the Department of Energy’s (DOE) launch of the first ever province-wide training workshop in Iloilo for local officials to formulate their own energy efficiency and conservation plan.
The Philippine Energy Efficiency Alliance (PE2) composed of public and private sector stakeholders, however, called on local governments to aim beyond usual projects like rooftop solar facilities and solar-powered streetlights in crafting their Local Energy Efficiency and Conservation Plan (LEECP).
Alexander Ablaza, PE2 president, said in a message that the training provided by DOE last week will effectively build technical capacity for local government units (LGUs) to formulate their own plans with shorter learning curves.
“As we open the sixth year next month since the enactment of the EEC Act, we laud the Bureau’s efforts to push EEC Act compliance at the LGU level,” he said, adding that such workshops build technical capacity for LEECP formulation and implementation, as well as replicable templates for other provincial, city and municipal governments to adopt with shorter learning curves.
Aim higher
But he called on LGUs to be more ambitious.
“PE2 hopes that LGUs may start to propose more building efficiency measures such as air-conditioning and indoor lighting efficiency retrofits beyond the early LEECP projects involving rooftop solar PV systems and solar streetlights,” he said.
He also expressed hope LGUs would be trained to enjoy the flexibility of the recently enacted New Government and Procurement Act, which enables life-cycle-cost-based procurement of more energy-efficient technologies and even private capital mobilization through energy service company performance contracts.
Last week, the DOE, through its Energy Utilization and Management Bureau and its Visayas field office, launched the first ever province-wide workshop on the formulation of LEECP in Iloilo.
DOE earlier said the initiative equipped local officials of the province with the knowledge and tools necessary to develop strategic plans for energy efficiency and conservation measures. Around 80 EEC officers, EEC focal persons and technical personnel from 43 LGUs in the province took part in the workshop.
The department said the initiative is also crucial in implementing Government Energy Management Programs (GEMP), as well as the production of LEECPs that are tailored to their respective communities.
DOE said under the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act, all government entities must implement the GEMP, a nationwide initiative aimed at optimizing energy consumption in the public sector.
The program mandates a minimum 10 percent reduction in electricity and fuel use, reinforcing the government’s commitment to sustainability.
To meet the objective, each government entity is required to develop structured energy efficiency programs with measurable targets and strategies aligned with national energy security and sustainability goals.
