More renewable energy projects eyed in Iloilo, other WV provinces

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

Western Visayas is making strides in accessing clean and affordable energy as a growing number of renewable energy projects are eyed in the region.

The Department of Energy (DOE) is looking to tap 68 potential renewable energy projects in the region, which is projected to bring a combined capacity of 14,245 megawatts (MW). This is an addition to the 29 operating RE projects in the region which generate a combined installed capacity of 708 MW,

The renewable energy projects include 24 hydropower projects, 17 for offshore wind projects, 14 for solar, 12 for onshore wind, and one for geothermal.

Data from the DOE showed Western Visayas has had a 28 percent renewable energy utilization rate since 2021.

In June 2023, Energy Secretary Raphael Perpetuo Mercado Lotilla said Western Visayas has the potential to become the country’s renewable energy capital, highlighting the region’s capacity for renewable energy supply.

Lotilla detailed that Western Visayas has a hydropower potential of 930 MW, a solar energy potential of nearly 500 MW, and a wind energy potential of approximately 13,000 MW.

In Iloilo, Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. said the provincial government has allocated PHP30 million for the development of renewable energy sources this year.

Much of the budget will be used to install mixed solar-powered energy in some hospitals in the province.

Meanwhile, a clean and renewable energy provider is also eyeing to install 25 wind turbines in four barangays in the province. The proposed project by the First Gen Corporation will cover an estimated area of 5,346 hectares and produce 25 megawatts of renewable energy.

In 2022, Iloilo enacted the first renewable energy ordinance in the country through the Iloilo Provincial Ordinance of Renewable Energy Ordinance of 2022 (I-PORE 2022).

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has commended the Iloilo provincial government’s commitment to bringing more renewable energy projects.

“I must say that Iloilo is the most active when it comes to investment in renewable energy and I hope we can continue our support,” UNDP Resident Representative to the Philippines Dr. Selva Ramachandran said in a media conference on June 28.

Floradema Eleazar, team leader for the Climate Action Program of the UNDP, emphasized the significance of local government units (LGUs) in attracting investors in renewable energy.

“In the case of Iloilo province, they are investing part of their IRA (Internal Revenue Allotment) to support renewable energy development in the province, a portion of it,” she said.

Eleazar said that this goes to show that LGUs have recognized that incorporating a renewable energy mix into their infrastructure leads to significant cost savings.