Zubiri joins call for 7 power plants’ closure

A congressman has called on the Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Power Corp. (Napocor) to shut down coal-fired power plants which, he said, pose "clear and present danger to human and animal life, vegetation and coastal ecosystems."

In House Resolution No. 700, Rep. Juan Miguel Zubiri said shutting down the coal-run power plants will also save the government billions of pesos it has to pay independent power producers for the excess power supply generated by these plants.

Zubiri was referring to the Calaca I and II plants in Batangas, the Pagbilao and Quezon power plants in Quezon; the Masinloc plant in Zambales; the Sual plant in Pangasinan, and Naga plant in the Visayas.

"The continued operation of these Napocor coal-fired plants are not really critical to our country inasmuch as we have an excess power supply of about 6,000 megawatts, and Napocor coal-fired plants generate only 3,500 megawatts," he said.

Zubiri added: "Burned coal emitted by coal-fired plants emit toxins and carcinogens that pose clear and present danger to human health, vegetation and coastal ecosystems, anathema to the Clean Air Act."

Thanks in part to these coal-fired plants, he said Philippine cities "are among the most polluted in the world, with the level of pollution being five times over the limit set by international standards."