House panel okays energy efficiency, conservation bill

House of Representatives Logo (PNA Photo)

MANILA — A bill seeking to institutionalize energy efficiency and conservation (EEC) to ensure sufficiency and stability of the country’s energy supply has hurdled the committee level at the House of Representatives.

The House committee on energy, chaired by Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Jay Velasco, on Monday approved an unnumbered substitute bill that consolidated eight EEC measures.

Velasco welcomed the panel’s approval of the bill as it could help address the power problem in the country with most end-users lessening their use of electricity.

The Senate version of the bill has already gone through the committee on energy and committee on ways and means.

“When the bill passes third reading here in Congress, then most probably if there are differences in the House and Senate bills, then there will be a bicameral conference committee that will harmonize the said bills, Velasco said.

Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali, head of the technical working group which drafted the substitute bill, said the measure seeks to encourage the efficient use of energy and other modalities of demand side management.

The bill also aims to ensure that energy is produced and utilized in a manner that will promote sustainable development to support the government’s goal of spurring economic activity and growth.

Furthermore, it seeks to promote judicious conservation and efficient utilization of energy resources and minimize their negative impact on the environment.

“In the pursuit of the foregoing objectives, it is imperative though that an enabling mechanism be established for both the government and private sectors to work together, which is also covered by the substitute bill,” said Umali.

“Always remember that we are all doing this to conserve our environment and to support the attainment of the socio-economic development goals of the government for the benefit of the Filipino people,” Umali added. (PNA)