Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla said Wednesday that the Department of Energy is seeking to develop more domestic sources of power as alternatives to achieve energy security in the country. Although the existing renewable energy sources in the country like the wind farms in Ilocos Norte and solar farms contributed a meager percentage in the energy mix, Lotilla said these domestic power sources have great potentials to develop to sustain the energy demand generation. Speaking during the Pandesal Forum at the Kamuning Bakery Cafe in Quezon City, Lotilla said collaboration among the government, the private sector, and consumers is necessary in attaining the aggregate goal of energy security.

ENERGY Secretary Raphael Lotilla speaks during the Pandesal Forum in Quezon City on Wednesday, July 5. At right is moderator Wilson Lee Flores. (Screenshot by Freddie Lazaro)

“We need to develop more of our indigenous energy resources including the renewable energy sources. Our push for renewable energy is not just being pushed by the sustainability side or because of pressures from the international community. It is because the Philippines has not been as gifted with fossil fuels…(but) fortunately for us, on the renewable side, we have more of those resources,” he said. Lotilla revealed that additional energy supply is expected from the Malampaya gas field, the country’s only indigenous commercial source of natural gas, west of Palawan in two years. “We are on track to having the drilling for the nearby fields by the end of 2024, and we are looking forward to new additional supply from the same service contract by 2026. This good news is important in terms of encouraging more investments in exploration in the oil and gas sector,” he said. “The importance of natural gas to the country is that it is going to provide a backup for the uncertainties, for instance, in the supply of renewables. By nature, solar and wind are intermittent…When there are clouds above, then the solar panels do not work to their highest efficiency. When the winds are neither ‘amihan’ nor ‘habagat,’ then wind power will always be volatile. Therefore, we need natural gas to complement or to make up for those volatilities,” the Energy Secretary added. In line with the agenda of President Marcos of looking possible areas for the installation of renewable energy sources without sacrificing agricultural lands, he said that they are exploring the installation of floating solar panels and offshore wind farms in the country. He said that they are promoting the use of renewable energy storage system during the peak period of production for use during night time. On the development of nuclear energy, Lotilla said that the country will be on track within the decade to pursue this option but noted that, as of the moment, most of the smaller modular technologies are still in the demonstration stage and not yet on commercial scale and are, hence, more expensive. “It all depends on timing and pricing. We are working with the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) to work on a framework for private sector participation in the nuclear power space,” he said. Lotilla said that legislators are working to come out with new bill regarding Philippine nuclear development. “Under EPIRA, the government is prohibited from entering into the generation space. But if there is a possibility or potential for the private sector to do it, then we should by all means encourage the private sector to do so,” he said. On the critical role of the generation, transmission, and distribution sectors in the power system, Lotilla said that the government will focus on necessary reforms like amending the secondary price cap and encouraging more competition in generation, finishing much-needed transmission lines to complement the growth of more generation technologies, and ensuring that distribution utilities are run more efficiently. For the meantime, Lotilla called on consumers to exercise electricity conservation, especially during peak hours, to help manage the thin supply margins.