FOLLOWING the commencement of operations of the new wind farms in Guimaras and Ilocos Norte, a global organization advocating for climate-change solutions calls for a hike in feed-in tariff (FIT) allocation for wind energy in the country to augment the looming power shortage this summer.
Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho L. Petilla earlier made a projection that the increase in demand from 8,717 megawatts (MW) last year to 9,011 MW during the first half of this year requires additional generating capacity.
With this, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is hopeful that the Department of Energy (DOE) will immediately increase the wind FIT allocation to help ease the projected lack of energy supply this March.
Citing data from the Wind Energy Development Association of the Philippines, WWF-Philippines Climate and Energy Unit Head Gia Ibay said March seasonally has the highest wind-energy output occurrence each year.
“Incidentally, this is the same month when our projected 2015 power shortage is slated to worsen,” she said.
The DOE recently supported the goal to increase installations for solar energy under the FIT regime.
Through the “Seize Your Power” campaign, WWF-Philippines continues to convince both public and private sectors that renewable energy is the main solution to the country’s power requirements.
With the support for solar power in place, the government’s energy arm is now encouraged to turn the table for wind energy this year, which, according to the WWF, is a “firm, next step” that it can commit to in 2015.
The organization’s “Seize the Wind” campaign, which gathers stronger support for Philippine wind farms, is the program’s first phase that aims to increase the FIT allocation for wind energy from 200 MW to 500 MW.
The newly operated wind farms in Ilocos Norte and Panay have already added 303 MW to the country’s power supply.
“By ‘seizing the wind,’ we can augment our power supply this 2015,” she said.
Wind farms are faster to build and are becoming more economical power sources, freeing energy-generation companies and consumers alike from the need to import expensive fossil fuels, like coal and oil.
Ideally, they take just about a year to go online, compared with conventional fossil fuel-powered plants, which can take up to four years to construct.
Approximately around 70 percent of electricity nationwide is currently generated from fossil fuels, with 90 percent of coal and oil resources imported at different prices from other nations.
“It’s time for us to divest from fossil fuels and prepare for a windfall of clean and affordable power for all Filipinos,” Ibay said.