DOE issues implementing guidelines for offshore wind power dev’t

After consultations with various stakeholders, the Department of Energy (DOE) recently released the Implementing Guidelines for Executive Order (EO) No. 21 issued by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., which directs the establishment of the policy and administrative framework for offshore wind (OSW) development.

Under the Implementing Guidelines, permitting agencies are guided by the different stages of an OSW development project and the activities necessary for the successful and efficient implementation of said projects.

Under the Implementing Guidelines, permitting agencies need to identify and submit the complete list of appropriate permits and clearances to the DOE.

These include all requirements, fees, and procedures, including the detailed process flow diagram on or before 18 June 2023.

Thereafter, the DOE shall integrate into the Energy Virtual One-Stop Shop (EVOSS) system all the identified processes, which will be used by all permitting agencies, including the Local Government Units (LGUs), in processing the applications for permits from OSW developers.

Permitting agencies include the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of National Defense (DND), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Transportation (DOTr), Bureau of Customs (BOC);

Bureau of Immigration (BI), Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Bureau of Quarantine, Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA), National Power Corporation (NPC), National Transmission Corporation (TransCo), Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation (PSALM) and concerned Local Government Units (LGUs).

Meanwhile, the permitting agencies shall nominate their EVOSS focal persons who may be invited as resource persons when needed during the EVOSS Steering Committee Meetings. Nomination should be made on or before the 18 June 2023 deadline through the DOE Investment Promotions Office (DOE-IPO). DOE-IPO acts as the EVOSS Steering Committee Secretariat.

EO 21 was issued to hasten the rollout of OSW projects in the country by mandating a policy and administrative framework for the optimal development of OSW resources in the country through a clear and streamlined process and timelines that eliminate red tape, facilitate efficient permitting process and promote greater investment in OSW projects, which in return, would accelerate the renewable energy capacity in the country from the current 22% to 35% by 2030 and 50% by 2040.

The Philippines Offshore Wind Roadmap launched last year showcases the country’s potential OSW resources estimated at 178 GW. As of this date, the DOE has awarded 65 OSW Contracts with a total potential capacity of 51.228 GW, enough to supply the country’s future electricity demand.