Philippines: Government Looking at Tweaking Energy Mix to Accommodate More Renewable Energy

DOE eyes tweaks in energy mix policy (Business Mirror)

(Courtesy CIA.gov)

Philippines DOE Undersecretary Felix William B. Fuentebella announced that the agency was looking at a shift of the energy mix to 50 percent baseload and 50 percent flexible plants.

Baseload plants are power facilities that operate on a 24/7 basis, while flexible plants are those that that are easy to start up and are able to ramp up their generating capacities immediately such as natural gas, geothermal (sic) and hydro.

The current mix now is 70-20-10 mix in favor of baseload, followed by mid-merit then peaking. Mid-merit plants run on long hours but not 24/7. Peaking plants, meanwhile, are easy to start-up and can be used during peak hours.

Fuentebella added that the possible shift to a 50-50 energy mix is brought about by the entry of more RE sources, “We’re anticipating the entry of more RE and to integrate RE into the system. We would need more flexible plants. So we’re looking at the role of natural- gas plants and how these will affect coal and how the mix will be affected.”

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