The city government of Ormoc is solidifying its stance on enticing capital that will be funneled into renewable energy (RE) projects partly to help the locality meet its power requirements, as well as contribute to the country’s overall energy needs.
The city’s desire for RE investment flows had been underpinned by the issuance of a recent resolution declaring such as an official policy of the local government with full support by Ormoc City Mayor Richard Gomez.
Ormoc City as well as the province of Leyte are host communities to the country’s major geothermal generating facilities that are owned and operated by Energy Development Corporation (EDC) of the Lopez group. Ormoc has also significant solar, wind and hydro installations.
Ormoc City’s resolution authored by Councilor Lalaine Marcos specified that their policy on stimulating RE investments had been anchored on the provisions of Republic Act 9136 or the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) and Republic Act 9513 or the Renewable Energy Act of 2008.
“With the undeniable consequences of climate change by way of the massively destructive typhoons and natural disasters that we have been experiencing in the past years, going for more sustainable sources to sustain the energy needs of our local as well as national economy has become imperative,” said Marcos.
For his part, Gomez said that apart from the operating RE plants in the area, Ormoc City itself has also been one of the 165 members of the Powering Past Coal Alliance (PPCA) that was convened during the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP 26) Climate Change Summit in Glasgow, United Kingdom in November last year.
He qualified that in line with the city’s new energy policy, “Ormoc prioritizes the utilization of clean, renewable energy, which is abundant in the province.”
Gomez further pointed out the city will “continuously protect and develop such renewable energy sources and, at the same time, shun operations and activities including sourcing and use of energy sources that are destructive to the environment and harmful to its citizens’ health and livelihood.”
The city resolution further stipulated that “Ormoc shall continue to support clean and renewable energy projects and is strongly encouraging the distribution utility, Leyte Electric Cooperative V (LEYECO V), and those contestable customers duly recognized by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to secure their power requirement from clean and renewable energy sources.”
By far, the 700-megawatt Tongonan geothermal project is the oldest and largest wet steam field of the country that is sited in Ormoc City and that stretches to its nearby-municipality of Kananga.