The Department of Energy’s (DOE) program on the “development of renewable energy applications and mainstreaming market sustainability” or DREAMS has identified five towns in Palawan with renewable energy potentials and two have already signed letters of commitment to start the process of fostering them.
Ric Torres, DREAMS project manager, said Wednesday this week that they are now looking into developing the two towns’ renewable energy (RE) resources.
The five towns with solar and hydro renewable energy resources are Aborlan, Brooke’s Point, San Vicente, Balabac, and Cagayancillo. The two municipalities that signed commitment letters, on the other hand, are Brooke’s Point and San Vicente.
“‘Yong limang municipalities na nakikita natin na may potential for renewable energy (solar and hydro) development ay Aborlan, Brooke’s Point, Balabac, San Vicente at Cagayancillo. Out of the municipalities that are selected, ang Brooke’s Point and San Vicente ay nagbigay na ng kanilang letters of commitment that they are interested in participating in the project,” Torres said.
He said they are hoping the discussion of DREAMS with the local government units (LGUs) will give them the interest to explore their RE resources.
Torres said there is a need for the LGUs to take the initiative to tell them what to do and how they intend to utilize these resources.
DREAMS is a five-year DOE program supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
Gaspar Escobar Jr., division chief of the technical services management division of the DOE, said in partnership with the provincial government, their goal is to capacitate the LGUs to develop localized REPs.
“Ibig sabihin po there will come a time na itong mga LGUs ang magbibigay ng mga impormasyon tungkol sa pangangailangan nila sa kuryente pero leaning to the use of renewable energy doon sa kanilang area para maplano ng Palawan Electric Cooperative (PALECO) at local government ‘yong pagpro-provide ng kuryente sa kanilang lugar,” Escobar said.
“Hopefully, after this meeting ma-identify mismo ng mga munisipyo ano ba yong potential doon sa lugar nila kasi ‘di naman manggagaling sa DOE… (inaudible) magsasabi na ito ang dapat niyong gawin there’s a need for detailed resource assessment and we hope that can be captured in the plan that they will produce,” Torres added
The output will be called “REP” or renewable energy plan which can guide the LGUs in addressing their power problems.
