THE Department of Energy (DoE) is arranging financing of about P10 billion to accelerate a program that will reduce power consumption at government agencies.
Energy Undersecretary Felix William B. Fuentebella said the DoE expects an outlay of around P2 billion per year starting 2026 to expedite the rollout of the Government Energy Management Program (GEMP).
“We have the strategies in place so what we’re working on is the financing. So, we’re trying to come up with a facility through the DoF (Department of Finance) with our development partners,” Mr. Fuentebella told reporters on the sidelines of a forum on Wednesday.
The DoF is guiding the DoE in preparing a financing proposal, he said.
Mr. Fuentebella said financing for GEMP could be a combination of official development assistance and concessional loans, with the DoF studying what would be the “best blend.”
“We have spoken to ADB (Asian Development Bank) and then we will also talk with the others. If it doesn’t (work), we’ll have to look for (other options),” he said.
He said the program involves retrofitting, upgrading for enhanced energy efficiency and conservation, raising the share of electric vehicles in the government fleet, and their charging stations.
GEMP is a government-wide program aimed at reducing the government’s electricity and fuel consumption by at least 10%.
The program is authorized by Republic Act 11285 or the Energy Efficiency and Conservation (EEC) Act and supervised by the Inter-Agency Energy Efficiency and Conservation Committee.
In January, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. issued Administrative Order (AO) 15 directing government agencies to accelerate implementation of GEMP.
AO 15 operationalizes the EEC Act for all government entities under the executive branch, including government-owned and -controlled corporations, government financial institutions, their subsidiaries, and state universities and colleges.
In the initial stages of implementing GEMP, the DoE said the government saved more than P300 million, equivalent to more than 30 million kilowatt-hours in 2023. Fuel savings were valued at P25 million.
For 2024, the DoE expects GEMP in accelerated implementation to generate nearly P2 billion in savings for electricity and fuel combined. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera
