PE2 participates in DOE briefing for IAEECC
TAGUIG CITY, 16 December 2019 – The Philippine Energy Efficiency Alliance (PE2) joined earlier today national government agencies, government corporations and other energy efficiency market stakeholders in a special briefing by the Department of Energy (DOE) on the Inter-Agency Energy Efficiency and Conservation Committee (IAEECC) created under Republic Act 11285, also known as the Energy Efficiency and Conservation (EE&C) Act.
The DOE messages and briefings were delivered by Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi, Senior Undersecretary Jesus Cristino P. Posadas and Director Patrick T. Aquino of the Energy Utilization and Management Bureau (EUMB).
Sec. Cusi highlighted the importance of scaling up the implementation of the Government Energy Management Program, and how the government should lead in EE&C adoption by example. The Energy Secretary also said that DOE consulted with a well-respected energy efficiency expert from Japan, Dr. Hidetoshi Nakagami, during the finalization of the implementing rules and regulations of the EE&C Act to ensure that the national EE&C policy measure is benchmarked on a model energy efficiency market.
Usec. Posadas explained why non-compliance of the EE&C Act should be penalized, as such wasteful utilization of end-use energy severely threatens energy security. He emphasized that energy conserved through energy efficiency effectively translates to avoided energy production.
Dir. Aquino explained the legal provisions establishing the IAEECC, its functions, as well as the rest of the features of the EE&C Act. He explained that the first formal meeting of the IAEECC will be convened in the first quarter of 2020.
PE2 representation during this event was led by its president Alexander Ablaza. PE2 member representatives Richard A. Uy and Antonette O. Marquez, and PE2 member services and communications manager Luigi G. Eusebio were among the PE2 participants.
Ablaza said, “Civil society and the private sector are excited to see the IAEECC convene very soon and eventually enable mobilization of private capital and knowhow through ESCOs engaged under either the Government Procurement Reform Act, the B-O-T law, NEDA’s Joint Venture Guidelines and through Public-Private Partnership transactions.” The PE2 president was also pleased to share with Sec. Cusi that Dr. Nakagami, who also heads the Japan Association of Energy Service Companies, is active in the Asia Pacific ESCO Industry Alliance, for which PE2 played a significant role in convening in June 2018.
