20,000 MW of power needed until 2040—Cusi

The country seeks to add at least 20,000 megawatts of renewable energy (RE) capacities by 2040 to sustain economic gains and continue efforts to elevate the quality of life in the country, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said.

Cusi made the statement during the launch by the Department of Energy (DOE) and the International Renewable Ener­gy Agency (IRENA) of the Renewables Readiness Assessment (RRA) for the country at the Energy Center at Bonifacio Global City.

“The RRA is a collaboration among the DOE, IRENA and other renewable energy stakeholders from both the public and private sectors. It is vital in our vision towards attaining 20,000 megawatts of renewable energy capacities by 2040,” Cusi said.

The energy chief said that with the Philippine government’s aggressive stance towards building RE capacities, there is a need to identify and analyze key challenges to further guide our stake­holders in our policies, regulatory and institutional framework.

He said that formulating the RRA involved research, in­terviews, focus group discussions and several multi-stakehold­er consultations. The Philippine RRA will also contribute to a database of the status of renewables readiness across member countries of IRENA.

IRENA is an intergovernmental organization that supports countries in transitioning into a sustainable energy future. It serves as the principal platform for international cooperation and an avenue to explore other values of renewable energy as it promotes widespread adoption and sustainable use of all forms in the pursuit of sustainable development.