PH tops world’s energy sustainability index for 3rd year in a row

Bangui Wind Mills (Photo By Ignacio Malapitan III – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0)

MANILA— Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi announced Monday that for the third consecutive year, the Philippines ranked No. 1 in the World Energy Council’s World Energy Trilemma Index (WETI) 2017 for having the best energy environmental sustainability among 125 countries.

WETI ranks countries based on three criteria: energy security, energy equity, and environmental sustainability.

“We welcome the good news,” Cusi said. “Environmental sustainability, energy security, and energy equity form part of the country’s energy development program.”

WEC defined environmental sustainability as the holistic achievement of energy efficiencies and development of energy supply from renewable and other low-carbon sources.

Energy security is the effective management of primary energy supply from domestic and external sources, the reliability of energy infrastructure, and the ability of energy providers to meet current and future demand.

Energy equity is the accessibility and affordability of energy supply across the population.

The Department of Energy’s Renewable Portfolio Standards, which mandates energy distribution utilities to source a minimum portion of their energy from eligible renewable sources, is proof of the national government’s thrust towards energy sustainability. the department’s Monday statement said.

In addition, the DOE, together with its partners, has intensified its nationwide electrification program using renewable energy systems to attain its vision for total electrification by 2022.

The DOE also announced its upcoming launching of the Green Energy Option Program to give consumers the power to choose renewable energy resources as their source of energy.

“The WEC rating on environmental sustainability is also a recognition of the administration’s advocacy encouraging Filipinos to make energy efficiency and conservation a way of life,” Cusi said.

“Our program on Minimum Energy Performance requirement for household appliances continues to help us control the growth of our total energy consumption and reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” he added.

The national government has also endeavored to improve on the energy security and energy equity dimensions of the country as defined in the WETI.

On energy security, the President signed Executive Order No. 30, creating an Energy Investment Coordinating Council that will spearhead and coordinate national government efforts to harmonize, integrate, and streamline regulatory processes, requirements, and forms relevant to the development of energy investments in the country.

For energy equity, the DOE’s national energy policy is technology-neutral to allow all available technologies to compete in the delivery of secure and affordable power while complying with environmental standards.

The DOE is also under the final stage of issuing an Energy Resiliency Policy that would address challenges in the energy systems after a natural or human-induced disaster and build back better for a sustainable energy system.

“We will continue to develop our indigenous and environmentally friendly sources of energy and make our communities more energy-efficient,” Cusi concluded.