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Manila Bulletin devider Business devider DOE hits 'very slow' permitting process

DOE hits 'very slow' permitting process

Published Jan 4, 2021 06:00 am

The Department of Energy (DOE) has suspended its issuances of certificate of energy projects of national significance (CEPNS) blaming the very slow pace in securing permits and project implementations.

The CEPNS was mandated under Executive Order No. 30 that was issued by President Duterte in 2017.

Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi lamented that out of the 149 approved projects with CEPNS, only 44 projects were able to complete their permits despite the streamlining of processes afforded under the Presidential order.

The energy chief stressed “we want to make sure that it is operating properly because out of the 149 projects – only 44 completed their permits. So what we’re saying is: why was it like that?”

Cusi nevertheless indicated that all of the EPNS-certified projects still continue to work on their requirements, which is still deemed by the department as a positive development.

He assured that the suspension of certifications would not affect the pending permitting applications of EPNS-approved projects; while the DOE evaluates the effectiveness of its EO 30 system. “All of them (project developers) continue to apply for additional requirements with different agencies,” the energy secretary qualified.

The array of approved “energy projects of national significance” or EPNS are: electric generating facilities – including renewable energy ventures; transmission line projects and substations; liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminals; petroleum and coal resource exploration ventures; and power installations at the Small Power Utilities Group (SPUG) of state-run National Power Corporation.

On the possible continuity of EO 30 implementation for RE projects, Cusi noted “we’re just evaluating what has happened and what positive impact will it do to the development and increase in energy capacity. DOE is meeting with the other agencies evaluating it.”

As it stands today, Cusi noted that while the projects were given permitting leeway under EO 30, many of them have not fully exercised such prerogative in their applications for permits and in securing licenses.

EO 30 prescribes at least a month timeframe on the approval of energy projects, as long as the project sponsors submit complete set of requirements on the processing of their applications.

Part of the EO re-assessment, Cusi emphasized, will also be a shift to the Energy Virtual One-Stop Shop (EVOSS) system, which is a legislated policy on an online platform of streamlined processes of energy projects’ permitting.

“We have migrated them to EVOSS, so our review will not cause any delay. And in fact, we’re doing this to expedite the processing and permitting of energy projects,” Cusi explained.

Related Tags

LNG Alfonso Cusi CEPNS EPNS SPUG DOE
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