Senator Sherwin Gatchalian is pushing for an energy transition measure anew as the country’s dependence on coal-fired power surpassed that of Indonesia and China.
“An energy transition measure is necessary as the country gears towards increased use of renewable energy sources,” said Gatchalian, emphasizing that the country needs to bring down its dependence on coal-fired energy.
Citing data from energy think tank Ember, Gatchalian underscored the need to come up with an energy transition measure that would push the country closer to its green energy goals.
The Ember data showed that the Philippines already surpassed Indonesia and China in terms of dependence on coal-fired power as the country’s share of coal in electricity generation rose for the 15th straight year in 2023 despite a target to cut dependence on the fuel to less than half of total power output by 2030.
Gatchalian said that from January to June this year, the average generation charge of Manila Electric Co. for coal was P7.4 per kilowatt hour compared to P4.18 per kWh for solar, a rate difference of about 44 percent.
