ENVIRONMENT WATCH

>> Sunday, June 8, 2008

Developing Aurora’s wind, solar project
MANNY GALVEZ

BALER, Aurora – A Filipino-American energy expert has been tapped to lead the way in the launch of renewable energy projects in the province, including solar and wind farms. Sen. Edgardo Angara told said that engineer Larry Asera will help the provincial government in setting up wind, solar and hydro power projects in the province. Angara said Asera, a graduate of the University of California in Berkeley and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has already done some preliminary studies on the potentials of renewable energy projects in the province.

Asera, accompanied by Benjamin Mina, the provincial environment and natural resources officer, flew by helicopter to Casiguran town in northern Aurora for an aerial inspection of possible sites for solar and wind farms. Following the inspection, Asera told Mina that an initial three hectares of solar farm can be developed in Barangay Esteves, Casiguran with a capacity of three megawatts.

The Fil-Am energy expert also discussed the prospects of renewable energy with Agripino Teh San, general manager of the Aurora Electric Cooperative (Aurelco) and technical director Noel Vidat. Asera’s visit came after Angara toured his sprawling house in California to see his wind farm and one-hectare solar farm which supplies the energy requirements of the City of Vallejo. He used to work in Cotabato and in parts of Mindanao.

His grandparents migrated to Hawaii. He later married a Filipina from Abra. Asera owns 22,000 acres of lands in Napa Valley, considered a wine country and in Vallejo. He also built and now operates 25 wind turbines in the area with a power-generating capacity of 1.8 megawatts each. Each turbine costs $1.5 million. With 25 turbines, these cost a whopping P1.5 billion.

Following the visit, the senator invited the Fil-Am to visit the province where they toured the Dicasalarin Cove in Baler town which, Angara said, would be turned into laboratory for renewable energy so that the entire energy source in the province is not fuel and gas but renewable energy. Angara principally sponsored the Renewable Energy Bill in the Senate, considered a ground-breaking piece of legislation aimed to make the country less dependent on fossil fuel but more on biomass which is abundant in the country.

The Baler senator said that Asera who is also helping Puerto Princesa City in setting up its own solar systems, will enable the province of Aurora to be the first provincial local government unit in the country to develop clean and sustainable energy technology.

1 comments:

Anonymous June 21, 2008 at 8:01 AM  

BRAVO!!!!!!!!!!! Senator Angara hopefully it will work.

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