Lapid reiterates call for renewable energy in addressing Negros Occidental power woes

Senator Lito Lapid has reiterated that using renewable energy (RE) sources can help address the brownouts being experienced in Negros Occidental, Panay Island, and other areas in the country.

Lapid said the country must improve usage of RE sources such as solar, wind, and hydropower. 

Using solar panels, the extreme heat can be harnessed to sustain the power needs of a community.

“Kung tutuusin, bilang tropikal na bansa, maswerte pa ang Pilipinas dahil sa sagana sa sikat ng araw. Kailangan lang na mas maraming mag-invest na mga pribadong kumpanya sa solar industry para makatugon sa kakapusan ng suplay ng kuryente (As a tropical country, the Philippines is lucky that it has abundant sunlight. There's just a need for private companies to invest in the solar industry to address the lack of power supply),” Lapid said.

Lapid mentioned this as he visited Bacolod City and Himamaylan, Negros Occidental. He found out there have been recurring brownouts in Western Visayas due to a power shortfall bared by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).

“Sana wag na pong maulit ang nangyaring brownouts sa Iloilo noong January hanggang March 2024. Kung walang suplay ng kuryente, walang negosyo, walang trabaho at walang kita ang ating mga kababayan. Kaya naman importante ang bastanteng power supply para sa katatagan at kaunlaran ng bansa (Hopefully the brownouts that occurred in Ilolo last January up to March 2024 will not happen again. If there's no power supply, there's no business, work and income for our citizens. That's why it's importante that there's ample amount of power to strengthen and help the country progress),” Lapid said.

President Marcos recently graced the energization and inauguration of the newly completed Cebu-Negros-Panay (CNP) 230-kiloVolt (kV) Backbone Stage 3 (CNP3). He said it brings the country one step closer to having a stable and reliable power transmission. The project is expected as well to help address power outages in the area.

“Suportado po natin ang hakbang ni Pangulong BBM na masolusyunan ang kakapusan sa kuryente, di lang dito sa Negros kundi sa buong Pilipinas. Maganda ang hakbangin niya na mas paunlarin at palakasin ang paggamit ng renewable energy sources sa gitna ng nararanasang El Nino phenomenon. Dapat din mabigyan ng insentibo ang mga renewable energy generators (We support this step of President BBM to solve the lack of power, not only in Negros but in the whole country. His steps in further improving and strengthening the use of renewable energy sources amid the El Niño phenomenon being experienced is laudable. Incentives should be given to renewable energy generators),” Lapid said.

Congressman Dino Yulo and Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson also supported Lapid’s call to boost the use of RE. They said that they will welcome companies in the province that want to invest in power generation.

The newly-inaugurated CNP Phase 3 project has an overall capacity of 3,800 megaVolt Amperes (MVA). It consists of 442 circuit kilometers of new transmission lines, 98 circuit kilometers of submarine cables, and the construction of six new substations in Western Visayas. 

Lapid also called on his colleagues to hasten the passage of Senate Bill (SB) No. 2138, which seeks to promote the use of RE technology in homes.

According to the bill, which he filed last year, Republic Act (RA) No. 9513 declared that it is the policy of the state to "increase the utilization of renewable energy by institutionalizing the development of national and local capabilities in the use of renewable energy systems and promoting its efficient and cost-effective commercial application by providing fiscal and nonfinancial incentives".