Albay 2nd district Rep. Joey Salceda is gnashing his teeth over the Department of Energy's (DOE) apparent inability to respond to the country's power situation, which he thinks could lead to rotating blowouts very soon.
"Over the past days, half of our baseload plants have experienced shutdowns. When demand peaks, you’re going to get more of that. So, I’m definitely seeing a real possibility of rotating brownouts by May or June,” Salceda, the House Committee on Ways and Means chairman, said in a statement Thursday, April 28.
Salceda noted that he presented back on Feb. 26 a “five-point plan” to combat an energy crisis. The plan included routine maintenance checks of the country’s power plants.
In October last year, the Bicolano also said that “maintenance issues” could be a way for some generation firms to jack up prices.
“Honestly, it’s getting frustrating. Like speaking to a wall. We already anticipated that these things will happen. And now, I’m making a prediction again that will probably take place, if we don’t take action. If DOE doesn’t take action. Rotating brownouts by summer if we neglect maintenance issues among our baseload plants,” warned the economist-solon.
Salceda added, however, “that maintenance is everything in the short run, but won’t do much for our energy sector in the long run".
“Malampaya is running out, by 2027 if predictions are correct. Renewable energy has not gotten to a point where it can be made more stable for baseload. So, we need a more stable energy source run by predictable fuel supply. No fuel is cleaner than nuclear,” he said.
“President Duterte is on the right path with EO (Executive Order) 164, which aims to introduce nuclear energy into our energy mix. And I can think of the ways we can complement that with good policy,” Salceda, a reelectionist congressman said.
He went on to pitch a "franchise approach" to nuclear energy in the Philippines.
"I don’t want government spending money on it, given our fiscal issues. But we can collate a fiscal incentive package under the CREATE (Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises) Law for a nuclear power investor. That will probably exceed the USD 1 billion threshold under that law, anyway,” Salceda said.
“I hope our presidential candidates discuss it more often. Whether they’re pro or anti, it doesn’t matter. We need a serious, honest, informed national conversation on nuclear energy,” he further said.