Bohol now has potential to generate 

around 90 megawatts of sustainable power

By Rey Anthony Chiu

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol (PIA) – Bohol now has the potential to generate at least 90 megawatts of clean, cheap, and sustainable power.

This after the provincial government has secured for the province the redundancy system that could supply Bohol with another 230 kilovolts of power from the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) Cebu-Bohol Interconnection Project.

Gov. Erico Aristotle Aumentado has been persuading investors in green energy development to generate over 100 megawatts of solar power to complement the province’s hydro-electric generation.

The inclusion of green energy in the province’s development agenda on sustainable development is currently supported by the land-based generation facilities of the three hydro-electric power plants in the towns of Loboc, Sevilla and Balilihan, the diesel power in Dampas, the 128 kilovolts of the Leyte-Bohol Interconnection Project (LBIP), and 95.2-megawatt Power Plant in Imelda, Ubay.

“Intent on making sure an island-based power generator for clean energy steps in, the governor convinced Dagohoy Solar Power Plant to build a 27-megawatt solar facility,” said Bohol planning officer John Titus Vistal.

Early this year, the Bohol Light Company has also shifted to renewable energy with a new 8-megawatt solar farm, which is in support of Tagbilaran City’s growth as a rising business hub.

“Towards the end of his first term, Aumentado again succeeded in attracting for Bohol Light Company an 8-megawatt solar farm, which makes Mabuhay Solar Power supply for the Tagbilaran City distribution utility,” said Roel Castro, Bohol Light and More Power president and chief executive officer.

A month before the May national and local elections, the 45-megawatt solar facility in Sevilla town broke ground, which secured for Bohol some 90 megawatts of solar power.

“Aside from being clean energy, solar-generated power is less expensive, and it is beneficial for consumers,” said Independent Energy Market Operators of the Philippines (IEMOP) vice president for trading operations, Isidro Cacho.

Green energy

According to Cacho, the Philippines is now currently blending 22 percent of power sourced out from green energies.

“The Philippines would have a bigger chance of increasing to 35 percent of green energy in its distribution blend in 2030,” he said.

Based on the Philippine Energy Development Plan, the country would slowly depart from fossil fuel by introducing green energy.

“As the world moves towards the utilization of cleaner energy for environmental sustainability over energy produced from fossil fuel, the Philippine Energy Development Plan mandates that the country would slowly depart from fossil fuel by introducing the green energy, in its power distribution blend,” said IEMOP president and chief operations officer Richard Nethercot.

“The country’s development plan intends to increase the fuel blend of traditional sources with renewable energy by 2030 from 22 percent now to 35 percent,” he added. (RAHC/PIA7 Bohol)

Members of the Independent Electricity Market Operators of the Philippines, which runs the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market in the country, discussing updates on the country’s solar power generation and the shift to green energy. (PIA Bohol)