House panel moves to consolidate energy efficiency, conservation bills

The House committee on energy has formed a technical working group (TWG) tasked to consolidate five bills seeking to institutionalize energy efficiency and conservation (EE&C) measures.

Measures that will be consolidated are House Bills (HB) 182 and 1220 filed by Parañaque Rep. Eric L. Olivarez and Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo V. Umali, HB 812, filed by Ako-Bicol Party-list Reps. Rodel M. Batocabe and Alfredo A. Garbin, Jr., HB 2388 filed by Batanes Rep. Henedina R. Abad and HB 1527 filed by House Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

“The TWG shall be chaired by Rep. Umali, co-chaired by the other authors Reps. Olivarez and Abad and the other authors of the measures will be members of the TWG,” said Energy Committee Chairman Rep. Lord Allan Jay Q. Velasco (Marinduque) during the hearing.

In his explanatory note, Mr. Umali said that it should be the goal of the government to “aggressively promote energy efficiency and conservation a way of life.”

“[T]he use of renewable energy technologies and systems by individual households and industries should be accelerated. This is another effective response to the country’s energy security concerns because this will result in the rationalization of the country’s energy demand for petroleum products and the lessening of the impact of escalating prices on the nation’s economy,” said Mr. Umali.

Philippine Energy Efficiency Alliance, Inc. President Alexander Ablaza also said that his organization is pushing for “the swift harmonization of the House Bill nos. 182, 1220, and 228 and all other pending bills in the House and Senate -- such as Senate Bill no. 30, filed by Senator Loren B. Legarda -- that aim to provide such comprehensive EE&C bill.”

“The harmonization of the bills will aim to cover discrepancies in bill sections pertaining, but not limited to, the definition of terms, the role of the DoE in relation to the National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Plan, role of LGUs, Minimum Energy Performance Specifications enforcement, ESCO (energy service company) accreditation, obligations of designated establishment or consumers, fiscal incentives, penalties and Congressional oversight,” said Mr. Ablaza.

Mr. Ablaza added that “every month of delay of the passage of this much-needed law” threatens the country’s chances of meeting the Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency road map which seeks a 40% reduction in energy intensity in 2030 compared to 2010, among others.

He added delays to the passage of the law also affect the country’s commitment to the Conference of Parties (CoP21 Paris), as well as our contribution to Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation’s 45% energy intensity reduction target by 2035, and Association of Southeast Asian Nation’s 20% energy reduction target by 2020.

Mr. Ablaza added that it also threatens the “local economy’s opportunity to benefit from the P19.7 trillion in potential energy end-user savings through 2030, and from the deferment of the up to 31.5 gigawatts in energy -- fuel based and electricity -- infrastructure improvements in production or generation, transmission and distribution.

The House committee on energy during the 16th Congress, then chaired by Mr. Umali, approved an EE&C scheme in January 2016.

The TWG will also consolidate two measures seeking to require the use of energy-efficient lighting products and a measure aiming to prohibit the manufacture, importation, sale and use of incandescent light bulbs. -- Raynan F. Javil