Lawmaker pushes energy efficiency, conservation bill

MANILA, Philippines - Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali is pushing for a bill providing incentives to private firms implementing energy-saving practices.

The congressman authored House Bill 4393, which seeks to institutionalize energy efficiency and conservation and promote renewable energy for energy security.

Umali, who is the chairman of the House Energy Committee, said incentives are in the form of tax breaks and financing.

“The bill provides for some incentives in terms of tax holidays and duty free imports to support suppliers of renewable technology,” he said during the Humaniti Network Media Forum on Energy and Business Sustainability.

“If you come up with a business model that you include a financial packages through our financial intermediaries, that can be a source of incentive,” the congressman said in terms of financing.

The bill also covers incentives to companies that will be able to generate savings from energy-saving practices.

Under the bill, companies must conduct regular energy audits on their establishments, where their energy consumption and costs will be reviewed to determine ways they can conserve energy and achieve savings.

These establishments include office buildings, hotels, schools, manufacturing firms, rail, air and sea passenger companies, and other businesses.

“There will be additional tax incentives or tax deductions to any of the businesses that are able to show they have somehow reduced demand for power by using more efficient technologies,” Umali explained.

“But we have got to translate in operational terms all of the plans and strategies and programs to make the implementation clear, especially on what benefits the business sector can get for pursuing a more efficient energy conservation,” he added.