FDC bats for full use of RE

MANILA, Philippines - The Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC) recently called on the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to proceed with the careful deliberation of the proposed feed-in-tariff (FIT) for the pricing of the renewable energy (RE) use in the country.

FDC is also advocating a socialized version of the FIT, or SoFIT, instead of the current proposal.

 In a statement, FDC said that stakeholders need to be fully involved, to sharpen, develop and ultimately ensure that current proposals to the ERC will ensure that the interests of consumers are advanced in terms of affordable electricity pricing regimes and their access to new, renewable energy.

FDC secretary-general Milo Tanchuling said that the existing FIT proposal is an incentive to private sector RE developers. Unfortunately, it will also pass on the capital costs for the renewable energy development to the consumers.

“We believe that a more equitable, democratic, sustainable and reasonable pricing methodology can and should be formulated,” Tanchuling added.

FIT is one of the many mechanisms that can accelerate the distribution and development of renewable energy in the country.

But the consumer with low greenhouse gas emissions should not bear the same electricity rate burden as those with larger emissions, as the case with the proposed uniform FIT application.

“Hence, the feed-in tariff system must be socialized – from FIT to SoFIT, or socialized feed-in tariffs,” the group said.

FDC maintained that electric cooperatives, consumers and community organizations should be given a pivotal role in the development and equitable access to renewable energy.

Earlier, the Global Green Power PLC Corp., a company developing biomass power plants around the country, urged President Aquino to speed up the development of the renewable energy.