October 3, 2024
Interactive Workshop in Cebu, Philippines Empowers Off-Grid Electric Cooperatives to Accelerate Decarbonization and Adopt Hybrid Energy Solutions
Interactive Workshop in Cebu, Philippines Empowers Off-Grid Electric Cooperatives to Accelerate Decarbonization and Adopt Hybrid Energy Solutions
Nian Sayoc, Associate
Felicia Singson, Analyst
Sarah Aquino Gomez, Senior Associate
Nian Sayoc, Associate
Sarah Aquino Gomez, Senior Associate
Felicia Singson, Analyst
3 October 2024, Cebu, Philippines – Climate Smart Ventures (CSV) recently conducted a workshop on “Hybrid Renewable Energy System Development and Capital Planning & Fundraising for Off-Grid Electric Cooperatives (ECs)” on 25-26 September 2024 at Bai Hotel Cebu, Mandaue City.
CSV organized a consortium of experts to lead workshop sessions. The consortium includes the Center for Empowerment, Innovation, and Training on Renewable Energy (CentRE), the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC), and Mott MacDonald. The event was attended by more than 100 participants with the majority represented by off-grid electric cooperatives, as well as members of the government, private sector, and civil society organizations.
The workshop is part of a three-year program, started in 2023, that works to accelerate energy transition for off-grid ECs. It is the second leg in a series of regional workshops, the first being the Luzon leg. The broader initiative is being conducted in consultation with the National Electrification Administration (NEA) and the Department of Energy (DOE), and supports the ongoing hybridization initiative of the Philippine Government led by the DOE, the NEA, and the National Power Corporation (NPC), among others. Hybridization of diesel and renewable energy (RE) involves the integration of RE and/or battery storage into the existing diesel energy infrastructure.
Consultations with ECs, government regulators, and project partners have reinforced the importance of capacity-building for both the technical and financial aspects of hybridization and project development. The series of workshops focuses on enhancing in-house expertise and providing more avenues for exposure on latest trends and potential collaborations between the ECs and relevant stakeholders. The workshops build on the Grid Modernization and Hybridization Guidebook, a collaborative effort by the consortium, and are designed to help ECs apply the guidebook’s concepts through in-depth discussions and hands-on training sessions.
This workshop detailed the various opportunities available for ECs to accelerate decarbonization through hybridization, with proven technologies and business models that are viable and scalable to their respective area’s requirements.
hands-on exercises and guided ECs on the practical application of the simplified planning tool (SPT).
The workshop featured a series of talks by public and private sector leaders across topics of regulatory and policy review, technologies and strategies for hybridization, financial planning, fundraising, and case studies on hybrid renewable energy systems development. Public sector speakers emphasized the policies and programs in place to support off-grid ECs in this transition, while speakers from the private sector broadly shared their experiences in implementing microgrid systems, as well as their willingness to develop projects and establish partnerships to finance RE with off-grid ECs.
Speakers included:
- Ronaldo Averion, Department Manager, Land Bank of the Philippines
- Matthew Carpio, Head of Transaction Advisory, CSV
- Leila Cirio, Chief Energy Regulation Officer – Regulatory Operations Service – Tariff and Rate Setting Division, Energy Regulatory Commission
- Jo Ann Bueno-Eala, Vice President of Sustainability, Bank of the Philippine Islands
- Rene Fajilagutan, General Manager, Romblon Electric Cooperative
- Flordeliza Geslani, Supervising Energy Regulation Officer – Regulatory Operations Service – Tariff and Rate Setting Division, Energy Regulatory Commission
- Ray Vincent Manzano, Principal Engineer – Renewable Energy Development Division, National Electrification Administration
- Arnel Moran, Loans Officer, Rural Electrification Financing Corporation
- Erel Narida, President and CEO, One Renewable Energy Enterprise
- Silverio Navarro, Senior Advisor, CSV
- Quintin Pastrana, President, WEnergy Power Pilipinas
- Rouchelle Payuran, Supervising Accounts Management Specialist – Accounts Management Division, National Electrification Administration
- Jonathan Teodosio, Senior Science Research Specialist – Technical Services Management Division – Renewable Energy Management Bureau, Department of Energy
Ray Vincent Manzano, Principal Engineer of the National Electrification Administration (NEA), discussed the various initiatives of NEA to support off-grid ECs in hybridizing their power generation sources. He explained, “We have several laws and policies that encourage ECs to adopt renewable energy and hybrid solutions. These are designed to foster not only environmental protection, but also job creation in the green economy, innovation, and energy independence.”
Quintin Pastrana, President of WEnergy Power Pilipinas, presented a case study of their microgrid system in Sabang Island, Palawan, highlighting the collaborative process and the resulting socioeconomic impact of implementing RE projects in off-grid areas. He added,”The growing interest in off-grid microgrids, with more private developers entering the space, is driving healthy competition and fostering essential partnerships between ECs and the private sector for rural electrification and hybrid energy solutions.”
Silverio Navarro, Senior Advisor at CSV, emphasized positive technological trends: “EC’s now have more strategies and business models to achieve scalable, reliable transitions toward 100% electrification using advancements in technologies and digitalization for greener and smarter grids.”
These insightful comments represent just a few of the many contributions from our distinguished event speakers.
Ultimately, the speakers and participants agreed that the types of initiatives highlighted would enable more livelihood opportunities and socioeconomic benefits for the community, while ensuring more affordable and reliable power for consumers.
EC representatives included general managers, board members, as well as personnel from the technical and financial services and corporate planning departments from the following ECs:
- Antique Electric Cooperative, Inc. (ANTECO)
- Bantayan Island Electric Cooperative, Inc. (BANELCO)
- Basilan Electric Cooperative, Inc. (BASELCO)
- Biliran Electric Cooperative, Inc. (BILECO)
- Bohol I Electric Cooperative, Inc. (BOHECO I)
- Bohol II Electric Cooperative, Inc. (BOHECO II)
- Cagayan de Sulu Electric Cooperative, Inc. (CASELCO)
- Cebu II Electric Cooperative, Inc. (CEBECO II)
- Davao Del Sur Electric Cooperative, Inc. (DASURECO)
- Dinagat Island Electric Cooperative, Inc. (DIELCO)
- Don Orestes Romualdez Electric Cooperative, Inc. (DORELCO)
- Guimaras Electric Cooperative, Inc. (GUIMELCO)
- Northern Davao Electric Cooperative, Inc. (NORDECO)
- Northern Samar Electric Cooperative, Inc. (NORSAMELCO)
- Province of Siquijor Electric Cooperative, Inc. (PROSIELCO)
- Samar I Electric Cooperative, Inc. (SAMELCO I)
- Samar II Electric Cooperative, Inc. (SAMELCO II)
- Sultan Kudarat Electric Cooperative, Inc. (SUKELCO)
- Surigao del Norte Electric Cooperative, Inc. (SURNECO)
- Zamboanga del Norte Electric Cooperative, Inc. (ZANECO)
Lawrence Ang, Managing Partner of CSV, expressed the urgency of phasing-out fossil fuels and the opportunities for more concerted efforts on RE hybridization. He said, “There is a pressing need for capacity-building and knowledge-sharing to accelerate energy decarbonization, especially in Southeast Asia, where island electrification relies on costly, unreliable fossil fuels. CSV aims to replicate this program across the region, empowering stakeholders as key decision-makers and beneficiaries of the energy transition.”
**About Climate Smart Ventures**
Climate Smart Ventures (CSV) is an advisory firm advancing the energy transition in Asia. Our expertise and projects span coal to clean utility-level energy transition, industrial decarbonization, grid transformation, transition finance, and government-level policy recommendations. We also provide ESG and sustainability advisory services, focused on decarbonization and management of environmental and social impacts. Ecosystem building and collaboration are key elements of our firm, which partners closely with the region’s leading corporates and power portfolio owners, investors, off-takers, and others. For more information, visit our website https://climatesmartventures.com.
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Nian Sayoc