The Department of Energy said Tuesday the government saved P205 million which was equivalent to over 20 million kilowatt-hours as of the first quarter with the acceleration of the Government Energy Management Program.
It said regular energy audits and spot checks also increased the government entities’ awareness, which encouraged them to adopt energy efficiency and conservation by reducing expenditures on fuel and electric utility services.
The DOE said the agencies that logged the most savings are the National Power Corp. head office, Bureau of Internal Revenue – National Office, National Electrification Administration, Office of the President Presidential Management Staff, and Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.
The GEMP implementation is guided by Inter-Agency Energy Efficiency and Conservation Committee created by Republic Act No. 11285 or the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act.
It aims to reduce the whole government’s electricity and fuel consumption by at least 10 percent through energy efficiency and conservation strategies.
Prior to the EEC Act, the government’s cumulative electricity savings stood at 5 million kWh, equivalent to over P51 million.
The EEC Act, enacted on April 12, 2019, seeks to institutionalize EEC and grant incentives to EEC projects. Its implementing rules and regulations were signed on Nov. 22, 2019, and became effective on Dec. 21, 2019.
IAEECC is empowered to prepare an annual assessment of opportunities for energy cost reduction in state-owned and leased buildings and facilities and mandating the adoption of energy-efficient measures and technologies.
These include the use of light-emitting diode lamps, inverter-type air-conditioners, and other energy-efficient technologies in government facilities.
“We commend the efforts of our government agencies in implementing energy efficiency measures. Small acts and what appears to be minor could indeed drive significant impact, especially when the entire bureaucracy, including the local government units and state universities and colleges would adopt behavioral changes and imbibe energy conservation as a way of life,” Energy Secretary Raphael P.M. Lotilla said.