Coal monsters take over DOE
Greenpeace demands Sec Almendras reverse pro-coal decisions
By GREENPEACE
June 25, 2012
TAGUIG CITY – A group of coal monsters staged a takeover at the
Department of Energy in Taguig City, renaming the agency the
“Department of Coal Energy,” and asking to see their “leader,” Energy
Secretary Jose Rene “COALmendras.”
The “coal monsters” were Greenpeace activists, painted black to
resemble coal, in a satirical protest action at the DOE. The
environment group visited the government agency early Monday morning
for an impromptu audience with the Energy Secretary, to demand he
reverse his decisions on the 11 coal-fired power plant projects he
approved since being appointed to office in 2010.
“Secretary Almendras’ true colors are as black as the coal he
shamelessly promotes. At the rate the Department of Energy is pushing
coal power in the Philippines, we might as well call it the Department
of Coal Energy. Under Mr Almendras’ questionable stewardship, the DOE
has approved a historically unprecedented number of harmful coal-fired
power plants,” said Anna Abad, Climate and Energy Campaigner for
Greenpeace Southeast Asia.
“Meanwhile, Mr Almendras has also allowed the Renewable Energy Law –
designed to promote clean and safe energy alternatives to dirty coal –
to languish under his watch. With his coal approvals, which directly
contravene the RE Law, he has exposed himself to be an industry lackey
working for coal companies rather than for the Filipino people.
Greenpeace is therefore demanding that Sec Almendras immediately
reverse his misguided coal approvals and vacate the office he has
heartlessly betrayed,” added Abad.
The environmental group Greenpeace led the action to call for the full
implementation of the Renewable Energy (RE) Law. The RE Law was
passed in 2008, but after four years, is still in the shelf, with
decisions on provisions, such as the Feed-In-Tarrif (FIT) rates,
delayed by two years.
But the biggest obstacle to the RE Law is the blatant pro-coal stance
of the energy secretary. In his two years in office, Almendras has
given the green light to 11 coal-fired power projects
[see table
below]. During the recent US trip of President Noynoy Aquino, Sec.
Almendras also made possible two more coal-fired power projects.
Greenpeace maintains that any investment in dirty coal plants means
investment and opportunity lost for clean and safe RE systems.
Coal is the dirtiest fossil fuel. From mining through combustion to
waste disposal, coal has a dire impact on the environment, human
health and the social fabric of communities living near mines, power
plants and waste sites. Coal plants are among the major causes of
catastrophic climate change. Coal burning also severely damages
ecosystems and contaminates water supplies. It emits other greenhouse
gases like methane, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, as well as
chemicals like arsenic and mercury which can disrupt human mental and
physical development.
Clean and long-lasting solutions to the country’s energy challenges
are already available, just waiting to be tapped. The DOE itself
acknowledges the Philippines’ vast potential for renewable power
sources, such as solar and wind. Greenpeace maintains that the role
of the DOE is to catalyze and develop investments in RE, in order to
provide a safe, secure and independent energy future for the country.
“Secretary Almendras seems to have forgotten that he now works for the
Filipino people, and not for dirty coal. His legacy of coal pollution
and climate change jars with the vision of transparency and
accountability carried by President Aquino. There is no place in
government for industry stooges such as himself. Almendras must exit
and the President must instead appoint a leader who will fulfill the
vision of the RE Law and chart a sustainable energy pathway for the
Filipino people,” Abad said.
Green Lighted Coal Plants |
Generating Facility |
Classification |
MW |
Location |
1. TRANS ASIA |
Coal-Fired |
new |
135 |
Calaca, Batangas |
2. SMI Power Corp.
(Sagittarius Mines Inc.) |
Coal-Fired |
new |
500 |
Davao Del Sur |
3. Masinloc Power
Partners Co. Ltd |
Coal-Fired |
expansion |
600 |
Masinloc, Zambales |
4. San Ramon Power
Inc. |
Coal-Fired |
new |
100 |
San Ramon,
Zamboanga City |
5. GNPower
Mariveles Coal Plant Ltd. Co. |
Coal-Fired |
new |
600 |
Mariveles, Bataan |
6. Alsons
Consolidated Resources (ACR) (Alcantara) |
Coal-Fired |
new |
200 |
Sarangani |
7. Conal Holdings
Inc. (Alcantara) |
Coal-Fired |
new |
100 |
Zamboanga |
8. San Miguel Corp |
Coal-Fired |
new |
300 |
General Santos |
9. Steag, Aboitiz
Power & la Filipina Uy Gongco Corp |
Coal-Fired |
expansion |
150 |
Villanueva,
Misamis Oriental |
10. Palm
Concepcion Power Corp. a subsidiary of A. Brown Co. Inc. |
Coal-Fired |
new |
200 |
Panay Island |
11. RP Energy |
Coal-Fired |
new |
600 |
Subic |
|
1. Secured
investment of $1 billion with GNPower for two 300 MW coal-fired
plant in Mariveles, Bataan |
Coal-Fired |
new |
600
|
Mariveles, Bataan |