Energy security and innovation took center stage at the Mindanao Power Summit 2024. The summit, held in Mindanao State University, Iligan City with the theme “Energy Secure and Empowered Mindanao through Innovations,” aimed to find solutions to the energy issues facing the region.
Around 700 stakeholders attended the event including local government units, chambers of commerce, electric cooperatives and companies, different national government agencies, members of the academe, and students.
In the two-day summit, the participants drafted several resolutions addressing critical energy issues and opportunities in Mindanao. Among the resolutions is a call to protect consumers from costs associated with adopting renewable energy, the integration of renewable energy investments into the plans of local government units, the review of the “Energy Storage Project,” and streamlining guidelines for the implementation of Executive Order No. 1, Series of 1994, wherein host communities receive part of the profits earned by power plants operating in their area.
There were also resolutions that called for the establishment of a Power Consumer Council, the re-franchising and open franchising of private distribution utility companies, the establishment of strict limits for loss of load expectations, developing capacity and operating reserve markets, and the facilitation of approval of energy projects.
The Department of Energy (DOE) called for the non-privatization of the Agus Pulangi Hydropower Complexes (APHPC) which draws water from Lake Lanao in Lanao del Sur.
The resolutions will be presented by the Senate at the National Power Summit on June 19, 2024.
Apart from energy security, the summit identified the following energy issues: sustainability, regulation, and technological advancement. According to Iligan Chamber of Commerce President Reggie Punongbayan, “this summit aims to demystify the power and energy sectors, providing a platform for knowledge-sharing discussion and collaboration.”
Partnerships
Consul General Deddy Faisah Ahmad Salleh of the Embassy of Malaysia attended the event. He pledged his country’s commitment to aiding Mindanao through the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area initiative.
Funding and financing institutions at the event assured the participants that they will provide financing for renewable energy projects and loans. They also promised to equip stakeholders with growth and technical assistance.
Transparency and strategic energy reforms, innovative energy generation, options for renewable energy, and sustainable energy through cooperativism were also discussed at the summit.
