BRUSSELS, Belgium – The European Union on Thursday said it had approved an embargo on Russian coal and the closing of the bloc's ports to Russian vessels over the Ukraine war. An official from the French presidency of the European Council said the moves spearhead a "very substantial" fifth...
Soaring electric bills in summer months seen By MYRNA M. VELASCO Summer months may just get hotter as soaring electric bills could further erode the purchasing power of Filipino consumers and thin power supply could also push Luzon grid into brownout breaking points. As global fuel prices are on...
The Department of Energy (DOE) and players in the electric power industry are appealing for temporary exemption on the payment of value added taxes (VAT) as well as suspension of excise taxes for coal and oil as fuel for power generation, to spare Filipino consumers from drastic spikes in...
Newly-issued Executive Order 164 of President Rodrigo Duterte has stipulated that the country’s need for baseload electricity supply shall be plugged by nuclear power facilities, which will serve as replacement to the targeted eventual phaseout of coal-fired electric generating assets. “Nuclear...
The astronomical rise in global coal prices had driven up the net income of Consunji-led Semirara Mining and Power Corporation (SMPC) to a record high P16.2 billion last year, or 393 percent jump from P3.3 billion in 2020. The firm noted that the significant income hike had been due to array of...
Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi has appealed to Indonesia’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Arifin Tasrif, for the lifting of its coal export ban as this would have an adverse impact on the availability of electricity supply in the Philippines. In a letter to the Indonesian energy...
With the coal export ban being enforced now by the Indonesian government, the Department of Energy (DOE) is prodded on a contingency measure to ensure sufficient coal inventory, that in turn could spare the country from rotational blackouts especially during the peak demand months of summer. In a...
The Department of Energy (DOE) should ensure there is ample coal supply and prevent an increase in the prices of coal following the Indonesian government’s decision to ban its coal exports this month. Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said the ban is a cause of concern as most power plants in the...
The Department of Finance (DOF) is exploring how foreign governments can contribute to the Philippines’ efforts to accelerate the decommissioning and repurposing of its coal-fired power plants. As overseas companies have a significant stake in the country’s coal-fired power plants, DOF...
President Duterte said he would "personally see to it" that Senator Richard Gordon gets slapped with a criminal charge, possibly malversation, for allegedly failing to return some P86 million worth of public funds. President Rodrigo Duterte (left) and Senator Richard Gordon (Photos from...
Integrated energy company Semirara Mining and Power Corporation (SMPC) was recognized at the ASEAN Energy Awards for the accelerated rehabilitation of its South Panian coal mine. To be specific, SMPC was declared as the winner in the award’s Special Submission category for the company’s...
A Philippine-based climate justice advocacy group on Friday urged the governments of the United States, China and Japan to immediately end public and private funding for overseas coal projects and other fossil fuels. Asian Peoples’ Movement on Debt and Development (APMDD) The US, Japan, and China...
