THE Department of Energy (DoE) said it will offer the output of 15 hydropower projects with a combined capacity of 101.35 megawatts (MW) at an upcoming competitive selection exercise.
Energy Undersecretary Giovanni Carlo J. Bacordo said nine of the hydro complexes are on Luzon, two in the Visayas and five in Mindanao.
The open and competitive selection process invites bids for power output and awards agreements following a technical and financial review.
Mr. Bacordo said offering hydro capacity helps the DoE meet its goal of increasing the share of renewable energy (RE) in the power mix to 35% by 2030, and 50% by 2040.
The DoE also announced that it is planning to conduct another round of the Green Energy Auction in June.
“This time we will study what will be the requirements, taking into account the RPS (Renewable Portfolio Standards), grid requirements,” Energy Assistant Secretary Mylene C. Capongcol told reporters on the sidelines of the Norway-Philippines Maritime and Energy Conference last week.
Ms. Capongcol said that the second auction round for (RE) could be bigger than the first, at which the DoE awarded 19 contracts to deliver 2,000 MW of RE under the Green Energy Auction Program.
Ms. Capongcol said the department is still considering whether to include hydropower and impounding geothermal in the green energy auction. — Ashley Erika O. Jose
