15 January 2016
This is where we need to be and this is how we will get there
In 2014, there were approved sets of directions from the Philippine government to take energy efficiency actions that aimed to coordinate and focus existing efforts to ensure that energy efficiency plays its part in addressing the looming supply constraints in a cost-effective and timely manner.
The requirement for the Roadmap has been identified by the DOE due to the clear need for stronger overarching objectives that will guide its energy efficiency program development and integrate newly identified opportunities and proposed priorities with existing energy efficient strategies and plans in order to present a consolidated strategy for the period of 2014-30.
The Philippine Energy Efficiency Roadmap 2014-30 is a detailed outline of a strategic plan that is directed at creating a more energy-efficient Philippines across all sectors of economic activity, namely industrial, transport, commercial and residential. It is presented and is seen as a set of plans, strategies, and targets laid out on a yearly and per sector basis. The roadmap identifies overall vision, clear objectives and measurable targets; short, medium and long term potential actions, both cross-cutting and by sector; and plans for measuring and monitoring progress. The Roadmap also places a measure of importance on the development of activities in data collection, monitoring and evaluation, which has been observed to be rather limited.
The existing NEECP long term vision is to make energy efficiency "a way of life" for Filipinos. It is then further stated as "an energy efficient nation that contributes in achieving the country's economic development and helps ensure energy security, optimal energy pricing and sustainable energy systems." The objective is also stated that the final energy demand of the country needs to be reduced by 10% cumulatively by the end of the 2011- 2030 period.
The National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Action Plan 2016-2020 is a series of sectoral initiatives that would further elaborate the details on the Roadmap. It provides the necessary level of detail to drive programmatic action within Government such as specific resource allocation, institutional arrangements, stakeholder engagement, timeframes for completion, and responsibilities to ensure that programs are developed and implemented in each of these key sectors.
As for the corresponding Action Plan, it casts the DOE as coordinator, facilitator and technical advisor rather than lead implementer. It contains, in general, key initiatives to establish a stronger institutional framework, build energy efficiency understanding and capacity in the finance sector, and establish reliable performance monitoring frameworks. Together, they represent an ambitious leadership platform for an expected upswing in energy efficiency for the country. It is with optimism and resolve that the programmatic guidance it provides shall form a cornerstone of DOE planning and budgeting for energy efficiency initiatives to be pursued and carried out in the next years of its implementation.
The 2014-2030 Energy Efficiency Roadmap and its corresponding short-term 2016-2020 Energy Efficiency Action Plan has been prepared with the support of the European Union and the same has been approved and accepted by the Department of Energy Secretary on July 21, 2014 and Dec 9, 2015, respectively. The 2016-2020 Action Plan is currently being implemented by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Division of the Energy Utilization Management Bureau of the DOE.
