BACOLOD CITY – The Visayas region is poised to see a significant increase in renewable energy (RE) capacity, with 25 committed power projects totaling 1,982 megawatts (MW) currently in the pipeline.
According to the Department of Energy (DOE), solar projects lead the way, followed by wind and battery energy storage systems (BESS). Other RE projects include geothermal, hydro, and biomass.
“Committed projects are those that are already under construction or have secured financial backing,” said Jephraim Manansala of the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC).
Notable RE projects in the Visayas include Solar Philippines Visayas Corp., PetroGreen Energy Corp., San Isidro Solar Power Corp., Energy Development Corp., Biliran Geothermal Inc., Iraya Ventures Inc., Century Peak Energy Corp., Leyte Electric Cooperative V, PetroWind Energy Inc., Citicore, First Max Power International, Central Azucarera de San Antonio, and HDJ Bayawan Agri-Venture Corp.
In addition to the committed projects, there are 55 indicative power projects in the planning stage, with a total potential capacity of 16,466 MW.
The RE Act of 2008 provides incentives to promote the development of renewable energy resources in the Philippines. The Philippine Energy Plan 2023-2050 aims to increase the share of RE in the power generation mix to 35% by 2030, 50% by 2040, and over 50% by 2050.
The media training organized by ICSC and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH emphasizes the importance of media in promoting the shift towards a cleaner energy future.