THE National Renewable Energy Board (NREB) confirmed Thursday that it recommended an increase the minimum level of electricity contracted from renewable energy (RE) developers to 2.5% from the current 1%.
“Yes. NREB has made that recommendation to the DoE (Department of Energy) as part of our proposed 2021-2040 NREP (National Renewable Energy Program),” NREB Chairperson Monalisa C. Dimalanta told BusinessWorld via mobile message.
Earlier, AC Energy Corp. President and Chief Executive Officer Eric T. Francia told reporters at a briefing that the NREB “had already made their position known about the increase of the renewable portfolio standards (RPS) increment to 2.5%.”
“Based on our estimates, the RPS will enable around 2 gigawatts of renewables starting in 2023… I think NREB has already made its position known — which we fully support — that (regarding) the RPS, the increment of 1% would need to be increased to 2.5%.” Mr. Francia said Monday.
The RPS program requires distribution utilities to source an agreed portion of their supply from qualified RE facilities.
Ms. Dimalanta added that the department hopes to release the updated NREP during the first quarter, adding that a public consultation is scheduled this month.
The NREP outlines the framework and building blocks needed to help the country achieve its RE goals as required under the Renewable Energy Act of 2008.
In July, Ms. Dimalanta said that the NREB assigned a team monitoring the implementation of the RPS program to discuss the increase of the RE share, citing the need for an increase if the Philippines is to hit its RE target by 2030.
AC Energy’s Mr. Francia has said that AC Energy is preparing for the green energy auction which is scheduled to happen in June.
“We’re gearing up for the auction that DoE is preparing,” he said, adding that the upcoming auction will support the implementation of RPS.
In July, the DoE released a circular on how the green energy auction will be conducted, to help power providers comply with the RPS.
Biomass, wind, solar, hydro, ocean, geothermal, and waste-to-energy plants in on-grid areas are eligible for the auction if they are covered by the RPS rules and were commercially operating since the RE Act of 2008 took effect.
Energy Assistant Secretary Redentor E. Delola has said that the department is still in the process of determining the volume that distribution utilities are planning to buy at auction. — Angelica Y. Yang