No such thing as clean coal-environment groups

Coal-fired power plants will solve the so-called energy crisis in Mindanao but it will not stop the damage in the environment.

This is the message of environmental groups who convened in Davao City dubbed as National People’s Conference on Coal and Renewable Energy held at the Ateneo de Davao University, August 4 to 7.

The conference is the response of different groups to the State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Benigno Aquino III last July 28 who stated there is an existing power crisis and that hydropower will not provide enough supply should El Niño comes.

“This is where coal comes in. The proliferation of dirty coal power-plants all over the country is the government’s solution to the energy crisis oblivious to the dangers it may cause—a solution which will endanger the lives of millions of Filipinos because of the proven impacts of coal. The continued promotion of coal only reveals the Government’s reluctance and skepticism towards renewable energy as an energy source that is highly abundant in our country,” said Gerry Arances, National Coordinator of the Philippine Movement for Climate Change Justice (PMCJ).
Arances said the existing Agus-Pulangi Hydropower is not operating on its maximum capacity since it needs rehabilitation—a thing that the Government is not doing. He added it only operates 30-40% of its capacity.

The Government is planning to privatize the Agus-Pulangi Hydropower plant and include Mindanao in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) which in the long-run increases the electricity rates in Mindanao. As of now, Mindanao is not yet included and electricity rates here are comparatively low compared in Luzon and Visayas.

According to the organizers of the national conference, under the Aquino administration, permits granted to the coal mining projects have doubled, from 39 coal operating contracts (COCs) in 2007 to 71 COCs in 2013. The number of approved coal plants has increased in the same period. In addition to 17 coal plants (with 28 boilers) with a total of 5506.2 MW capacity are currently operational across the country, 25 more coal plants (with 45 boilers) of up to 9,054 MW capacity have been approved as of mid-2014 (committed and indicative) and railroaded for final construction by 2020.

“We acknowledge that there is a need to fix the energy deficit in our country. The energy crisis is also a manifestation that there are fundamental problems in our energy systems. The peoples conference and gathering will attempt to address the needs of the people and listen to the stories and experiences felt on the ground, a democratic process that is severely lacking in our energy system,” Arances said. (@johnfrances w/PR)