Energy Conversations

Behind the Mall of Asia, the SMX convention facility was the site of a 3-day “Energy Summit” convened by the Department of Energy from January 29 to 31.

Girlie was curious about the summit, and decided to join, but to get there on time we would have to leave Quezon City early to avoid the traffic. Fortunately, Fr. Paking Silva and NEA Administrator Edith Bueno were also attending, and kindly offered a ride.

It’s my first time to visit the Mall of Asia. It’s really huge. No wonder it landed on a recent list of the 10 biggest malls in Asia, together with two other SM Malls – Megamall and SM North. Malls, according to a speaker on conserving energy, could do their part by setting their thermostats a bit higher.

The conference theme was catchy: Oil at $100 a barrel – Crisis or Opportunity? I thought there were too many topics and speakers for a summit. But I was told that the 3-day summit was just the first of three stages. The 3 days were designed to hear out as many views as possible, to be followed by a two-day workshop at the Asian Development Bank where the issues and proposed solutions will be prioritized, for presentation at the final session on February 5.

Girlie and I agree on what learning we liked best on the first day – the need to switch from incandescent to flourescent bulbs, or CFLs. One speaker calculated that if all incandescent bulbs in the Philippines were replaced, the energy saved would be the equivalent of building a new 500 megawatt plant. Since the average cost of generating one megawatt is 1 million dollars, that saves the country 500 million dollars.

That seemed to be both urgent and doable, one of the so-called “low hanging fruit” that can be harvested as part of the post-summit action plan. At the workshop on social mobilization where I spoke, I said that many electric coops are in a position to promote this switch, especially in those places where the demand for electricity is in danger of outstripping the available supply.

During the follow-up workshop at the ADB, Mr. Meneleo Carlos argued for incentives and regulation to hasten the switch. I don’t know where he got his figures, but he claimed that the energy savings would be double at 1000 megawatts.

When I got home from the ADB, Girlie greeted me with the news that she had the remaining bulbs in our rented house replaced with CFLs.

Am glad that energy conservation and energy efficiency got enough attention. I was afraid that the “opportunity” in the summit theme would focus only on biofuels and add to the undue hype around them.

In fact I wanted to introduce Ted Mendoza from UPLB to Usec. Mon Santos of the Biofuels Board, so he could raise his questions about jathropa and other bruited biomass sources, and was pleasantly surprised to be told by Mon that they already had their first conversation.

We met Tetchie Capellan, our friend from activist days, who spoke about the experience of the AMORE program in Mindanao. She told us that she has tapped the expertise of another activist-friend, Bebs Lopez, for building micro-hydros. She expressed her frustration at the practice of the Energy Regulatory Commission: “The ERC treats the small electricity associations we have organized under the program using the same framework and requirements that are geared for the large corporate distribution utilities like MERALCO.” I told her that the electric coops have similar sentiments.

There were over a hundred delegates from the electric coops, but rural electrification did not get enough attention at the summit. Understandably, the “peak” items were oil and conventional energy, transport, even the nuclear option. I take some comfort that the bill on renewable energy will get a boost from the summit.

Yesterday, colleagues involved in agrarian reform briefed me about the campaign to extend the CARP beyond July 2008. They had good news about the recent dialogue with the CBCP leadership: “Even relatively conservative bishops expressed their support.”

Vangie Mendoza of UNORKA shared stories about their march from Canlubang to Santa Cruz, and the support they got from all the parish priests, save one. Starting on Ash Wednesday February 5, they will march to Manila, to seek action on the Yulo estate and other land cases.

Since Ted Mendoza was present, I said that farmers organizations and rural development institutions should also take up the issues of renewable energy, especially biofuels. It’s the current focus, not just in the country but also because of global concern on climate change. Elite players use the legitimate issue to argue against agrarian reform. There are not enough voices from below in the energy conversations.

This afternoon, Girlie and I went to the Loyola School of Theology to pay our respects to the remains of Fr. Carlos Abesamis S.J., a very good friend whom I respect for his intelligence and commitment. As I reflected quietly on Abe’s life and witness, Walden Bello came into the chapel. I was told that he had been invited to speak at the energy summit, but couldn’t make it; I shared with him some of the discussions, especially on climate change.

“How was Bali, and with what global campaign network can we link?” I asked him. He said that a new network was formed at Bali, and I may be interested in it: “It’s called Climate Justice, since it wants to address also the question of development in relation to climate change, and North-South relations.”

Just before we left, he added. “Have you read the 2006 study in Germany? It says that the Philippines is the country whose islands are most at risk from climate change.”

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