Think tank urges Duterte to revoke EO30, reduce PHL coal dependence

Following President Rodrigo Duterte's remarks on reducing coal dependence, energy think tank Center for Energy, Ecology and Development (CEED) on Tuesday called on the government to lift the "unjust privilege" enjoyed by coal power plant operators across the country.

"[We] urge the Duterte administration to revoke Executive Order 30, cancel all pending coal-fired power plants, and subject all existing coal-fired power plants to a review which would determine whether they must be retired," CEED said in a statement.

Executive Order 30 created the Energy Investment Coordinating Council, and effectively streamlined the regulatory procedures affecting energy projects.

Dated June 28, 2017 and signed by Duterte, EO30 mandated government agencies and instrumentalities to act upon applications for permits involving energy projects of national significance (EPNS) within 30 days.

Under the EO, EPNS were classified as projects which possessed any of the following attributes:

• significant capital investment of at least P3.5 billion
• significant contribution to the country's economic development
• significant consequential economic impact
• significant potential contribution to the country's balance of payments
• significant impact on the environment
• complex technical processes and engineering designs
• significant infrastructure requirements

"[We] urge the President and members of his Cabinet, specifically the Department of Energy (DOE) and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to walk his renewable energy talk," said CEED.

GMA News Online had sought comment from the Department of Energy (DOE) on the matter, but has yet to receive a response as of this posting. 

The CEED statement comes a day after Duterte, in his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA), called for the development of alternative energy sources and reduce dependence on coal.

"We recognize the urgent need to ensure the sustainability and availability of resources and the development of alternative ones," said Duterte.

"In this regard, I trust that Secretary Cusi shall fast-track also the development of renewable energy sources, and reduce dependence on the traditional energy sources such as coal."

CEED thus urged Duterte to make good on his pronouncement with the lifting of EO30 and pushing for a shift to renewable energy.

"The President's statement is a testament to the elevation of RE not just as the alternative, but the only way forward, especially in the worsening climate crisis," it said.

"We enjoin all stakeholders and advocates to remain vigilant and willing to hold this administration to its word in stopping the country's coal addiction, and starting the course towards REhabilitation," added CEED. — Jon Viktor Cabuenas/DVM, GMA News