Hontiveros: Nuclear energy a terrible, false solution to PH power woes  

 
Senator Risa Hontiveros on Friday, May 5 questioned Malacañang’s move to pursue private sector investments from the United States that would bring about nuclear energy projects in the Philippines. 
 
Hontiveros reiterated her belief that nuclear energy would be a horrific answer to the country’s power problem, despite the Marcos administration’s belief it can be a potential solution to the series of blackouts in various parts of the country. 
 
“These projects will not be able to solve our immediate power woes, and - as I have said in the past - nuclear energy is a desperate and a terrible, false solution to our energy needs when compared to clean and indigenous renewable energy resources,” the deputy minority leader stressed
 
But the senator said she is keen on supporting any new probe by the Senate Committee on Energy on the ongoing power outages across the country. 
 
Hontiveros said she is also ready to propose measures and resolutions aimed at lowering power costs for consumers, such as decreasing the recoverable rates on the cost of capital or WACC (transmission and distribution), removing VAT on system loss, optimal use of energy mix, and financing renewable energy use in the social housing sector. 
 
“Let us do all we can to provide immediate relief to the energy needs of our kababayans. Tandaan natin na hindi biro ang mawalan ng kuryente sa gitna ng summer - kabuhayan at mismong kalusugan ng kababayan natin ang nakataya dito (Let's remember that losing electricity in the middle of summer is no joke - the livelihood and very health of our countrymen are at stake here),” she said. 
 
She said the Department of Energy (DOE) and other top energy officials should explain why service interruptions are still being experienced by Filipinos despite assurances last year that the nation’s power supply would be stable in 2023. 
 
The islands of Guimaras, Panay and Negros have been hit by a series of blackouts last week, the latest of the calamities affecting the Visayas grid. 
 
Occidental Mindoro, likewise, has been enduring power outages that lasts 20 hours per day. 
 
The latest, she said, is the country’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) which suffered a power interruption, disrupting dozens of flight last January 1 and May 1. 
 
During the 2023 budget deliberations in the Senate last October, we were told that the power supply would remain sufficient and stable for this year, and that regulatory issues pertaining to high rates were being addressed. Anyare na (what has happened)?” Hontiveros asked. 
 
She also noted the “seemingly muted” response from energy officials when asked about why there is energy shortage in the provinces.