Mactan Island, Cebu—The chairman of the 12th Apec Energy Ministers’ Meeting (EMM12) on Tuesday morning strongly urged the delegates from member-economies to conduct a vulnerability assessment of energy infrastructure among Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) economies that fall victims to natural and human-induced disasters.
In her welcome remarks, Zenaida Monsada, officer in charge of the Department of Energy, said a vulnerability assessment will determine the costs of disasters to energy infrastructures. She stressed that the conduct of an assessment will help avoid disasters and “create cooperation and share best practices that will guide policy and program decisions to ensure reliable and sustained production.”
“We are very much aware of the ill consequences brought about by natural and man-induced disasters to people’s lives, poverty, businesses and economies’ resources. The higher levels of frequencies and intensity of these disasters have caused an alarming call even for the most advanced and the most prepared economies,” Monsada said.
Sen. Loren Legarda, a guest speaker during the Apec EMM12, said Apec and its member-economies need to cooperate with the private sector toward fostering public-private partnerships that will encourage the adoption of appropriate standards for critical energy infrastructure.
“Our experiences with Typhoon Haiyan [local code name Yolanda] in 2013, whose intensity is unmatched in recent history, give us crucial lessons. The total damage to the electricity sector then was estimated at $155 million.
“The distribution utilities were the hardest hit, which accounted for 76 percent of the total damage to the energy sector. This underscores the importance of building adaptability in the energy sector. Climate-proofing the energy infrastructure has clearly become a necessity,” Legarda said.
Ayala Energy Holdings Inc., which has assembled about 700 megawatts in attributable generating capacity, said it is best if Apec releases these standards. “Maybe Apec can take a stand on such standards on building codes, equipment of materials that consume less electricity. When it comes to standards there were suggestions to perhaps align certain standards,” AC Energy President John Eric Francia said.
Francia and AboitizPower Corp. CEO Erramon Aboitiz, meanwhile, called on the government to do its part in fostering private- sector participation in building more energy infrastructure.
“Things like permitting could move the public-private partnership [PPP] projects faster,” Aboitiz said. Francia also said the government must “focus on specific targeted PPP where it can tap the private sector’s help.” Moreover, the Ayala official said there should be coordinated government policies to attain energy resiliency and sustainability.
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Aware naman tayong lahat na ang climate change ay napaalaki ng effecto sa ating ekonomiya.
Indeed Senator Loren. “Apec and its member-economies need to cooperate with the private sector toward fostering public-private partnerships that will encourage the adoption of appropriate standards for critical energy infrastructure.”