Energy projects pushed in Mountain Province

By Gina Dizon

SAGADA, Mountain Province -- Senior vice president of the Cagayan  Electric Power and Light Company (CEPALCO) and advocate of  renewable energy engineer David Tauli urged  communities  to enter into build-operate and transfer arrangements with RE firms in a radio interview here last week. 

                Speaking with local government officials and officers, and members of non-government organizations, Tauli said energy projects in the country had been operating and making use of community resources “in perpetuity.”

                Commenting that the public and indigenous peoples communities own air, water, and land used by capitalists  in their operations,  he said it is enough  that capitalists recover their investment with  a 15%  profit, then turn over the  facility to the  people via the local government  unit or a community cooperative.

                This, through “feed In tariff” mechanism of the RE law of 2008 which ensures return of capital cost  to investors over a given period based on the cost of generation of  an RE technology.

                The RE law facilitates building of  more community-based RE projects including wind, solar, and  hydro facilities where all energy consumers in the country shall collectively  help in paying off the investment.

                The FIT in effect encourages more investors to build RE projects in the country instead of relying on imported coal and oil as sources of energy, Tauli added.  

                And what can the community get in return while the investment cost payment is in progress and before the  facility can be turned over to the  LGU or a community cooperative?

                The community or the local government unit can negotiate for other benefits including watershed  development, trainings, employment, and scholarships  as terms  in an agreement  between the LGU/community and

the investor. 

                This, apart from the law thich provides one centavo per kilowatt hour  generated from the energy facility  to host communities. 

                Laws facilitating community negotiations include the  environmental clearance certificate  (ECC) from the Department of  Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)  and the free prior and informed consent (FPIC)  as provided for in the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA).

                In said forum, Tauli said  talks on setting up a one megawatt (1MW)  solar photovoltaic energy has already  been discussed with officers of the  five electric cooperatives of the Cordillera including  Mountain Province electric cooperative (MOPRECO), Ifugao electric cooperative (IFELCO), Kalinga electric cooperative (KAELCO), Benguet electric cooperative (BENECO),  Abra electric cooperative  (ABRAECO). 

                Tauli meanwhile criticized Department of Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras for  not taking action in making sure that the  FIT  rules as provided for in the RE law are approved by  the Energy Regulatory Commission  one year after  the law was legislated.  

                There is yet no single RE project within terms as provided in the RE policy since the law was passed in 2008,  he said,

                Tauli is hopeful that the FIT rules shall be approved July this year which shall then signal the implementation of RE projects  in  investors’ target areas. 

                In Sagada, the energy firm Phil Carbon has forwarded its intention to set up a  20 megawatt  windfarm atop Pilaw ridge located between  Sagada and Besao  municipalities. 

                Phil Carbon through its  chairperson engineer RufinoBumasang and  president  Ruth Owen  had been doing initial talks with the  LGU  officials of Sagada and Besao in  setting up the wind farm.