LUNA, Apayao – The Regional Development Council (RDC) in the Cordillera approved a resolution supporting the Department of Energy’s project study on Philippine Geothermal Resource Inventory and Assessment in the region.
The region’s policy-making body underscored its support for the development of renewable energy resources in the region and found the geothermal resource study important in providing essential information on the geothermal energy potentials of the region as the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) is one of the regions with abundant supply of renewable energy sources like hydropower and geothermal, among others.
The RDC-CAR resolution added the CAR, being a potential major hydro power producer as envisioned in its short- medium and long-term development plan, also hosts a number of potential energy hot spots like Kalinga, Mountain Province and Benguet.
Earlier, the energy department expressed its desire to conduct a geothermal study comprising of geological, geochemical and geophysical surveys for potential geothermal energy sources in the different parts of the region as presented during its third quarter meeting last week.
The DOE by virtue of Republic Act (RA) 7638 was created and mandated to prepare, integrate, coordinate, supervise and control all plans, programs, projects and activities of the government relative to energy exploration, development, utilization, distribution and conservation.
The national government then embarked on the National Renewable Energy Program (NREP) which aims to significantly increase geothermal energy capacity installations by 2030 to guarantee the maximum utilization of the country’s available renewable energy sources to provide the people with the least cost of power aside from maximizing the utilization of reliable power from other traditional and non-traditional sources.
The RDC-CAR stipulated in support to the NREP, the DOE Renewable Energy Management Bureau- Geothermal Energy Management Division is currently conducting an assessment of all potential geothermal sources under the Philippine Geothermal Resources Inventory and Assessment primarily geared towards determining the potential and viable geothermal sources in the different parts of the country which could be tapped to augment the increasing renewable energy supply of the country.
The RDC-CAR added the identification of the possible sources of geothermal energy in the region will definitely serve as a guide for potential investors to consider in their exploration, development and utilization activities contributing to income generation for remote communities through the development of geothermal resources within their areas of jurisdiction.
Copies of the approved resolution will be forwarded to the energy department and Cordillera local governments with potential geothermal sources, particularly Kalinga, Mountain Province and Benguet for their information, guidance and ready reference. Currently, a geothermal company is exploring the geothermal potentials of Kalinga after renewing their permit from the energy department to guarantee the uninterrupted exploratory activities in the said area.
By HENT
