PE2 briefs ECCP energy group on new EE&C law
MAKATI CITY, 13 June 2019 – The Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RE&EE) Committee of the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) invited PE2 president Alexander Ablaza to brief the body on the salient features of the recently approved Republic Act No. 11285, otherwise known as the Energy Efficiency and Conservation (EE&C) Act. ECCP’s RE&EE Committee continues to be chaired by Ruth Yu Owen, who also serves PE2 as its vice president for external affairs and member of its board of trustees.
Ablaza explained the 4-decade legislative history of the bill, citing Batas Pambansa bilang 73 as the predecessor policy measure that was enacted in June 1980, and how the local market slid into a 29-year voluntary regime between 1990 and 2019, when the 8th to 16th Congresses were unable to pass refiled versions of the EE&C bill.
The PE2 president briefed the RE&EE committee of ECCP on the six pillars of the EE&C Act, which include: Roles of Government, Certification, Energy Performance, Designated Establishments, Incentives and Other Features.
Ablaza said that the Department of Energy (DOE), as lead agency in the implementation of the EE&C Act, will need to consult market stakeholders in crafting and finalizing the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR).
PE2 also emphasized that the intent to mobilize off-balance sheet investments through a suitable package of fiscal incentives should be preserved through the Government’s comprehensive tax reform program and through the first 10-15 years of the EE&C Act effectivity.
Ablaza strongly urged Government, civil society and the business sectors to step up collaborations to sustain the EE market reforms. “The EE&C Act is just the initial step,” he explained.
