Sual residents say they don’t want another coal-fired power plant in their midst. —RAY B. ZAMBRANO
SUAL, PANGASINAN—Residents opposing the construction of a second coal-fired power plant in this town have found an ally in the Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ), which vowed to help them stop the proposed project.
Valentino de Guzman, PMCJ Luzon area coordinator, said his group would fight with residents here to stop the proposed $1-billion plant in the coastal village of Baquioen here.
PMCJ is a coalition of more than 100 civil society groups in the country.
De Guzman on Sunday spoke at a forum organized by the Save Sual Movement, a group of residents opposing the project.
The proposed plant, which is expected to generate 900 megawatts of electricity for the Luzon grid when completed, will be built by Phinma Energy Corp. (formerly Trans-Asia Oil and Energy Development Corp.).
De Guzman said it has been scientifically established that coal-fired plants have adverse effects on the environment and health of residents.
Renewable energy
“Several countries in Europe and the United States have been decommissioning their coal-fired plants but here in the Philippines, we are even pushing them,” he said.
De Guzman said the Philippines is one of the most vulnerable countries when it comes to the impact of climate change. He said in an era of renewable energy, the country should instead build more solar and wind energy sources.
“Negros [island] now has 100 percent renewable energy source. In fact, its problem is where to give its surplus power. So, if it can be done in Negros, it can be done here in Sual,” he said.
Fossil fuel
In the Philippine energy plan, energy mix by 2030 should be dominated by renewable energy sources.
But with the proposed construction of more coal-fired plants, fossil fuel as energy sources will still comprise the majority of the energy mix by that time.
There are 24 coal-fired power plants in the country and 36 more plants in the pipeline. So there is a need to sustain the opposition against the construction of coal-fired plants, De Guzman said.