RE development is targeted with the government gearing to be the world leader in geothermal energy, the largest producer of wind power, and the solar manufacturing hub in Southeast Asia. In addition, the harnessing of the country's hydropower and biomass energy potentials shall be continued.
The National Renewable Energy Program (NREP), to be drawn by DOE in consultation with other concerned stakeholders, will provide the overall strategic policy directions in the RE industry.
The government will pursue the research and development of untapped RE available such as ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC). To date, the country's potential sites for deep-ocean power consist of 910 blocks equivalent to 73,710 hectares. Deep Ocean Power Philippines, Inc. (DOPPI) has already filed its application for OTEC Pre-Development Contract for 36 areas.
Existing RE-based power generation capacities shall be increasingly utilized. From the generation expansion exercises used in the formulation of the country's power development program, out of the 8,156.7 MW of total RE potential, 4,701.96 MW is expected to come in the next 30 years, broken down as follows: (a) hydropower with 2,113.1 MW; (b) geothermal with 1,475 MW; (c) wind with 930 MW; (d) biomass with 112.8 MW; and (e) solar with 71 MW. Of these capacities, around 57 MW is expected in the short term, 130 MW in the mediumterm; around 775 MW is expected to come in between 2014 and 2016. The remaining capacity is expected beyond 2016 and up to 2030. The committed capacities expected to be commercially operated within the short term are: (a) 70 MW from geothermal; (b) 50.5 MW from hydro; and (c) 17.5 MW from biomass.
Harmonization is a critical factor in the exploration and development of geothermal resources, especially those located inside protected areas, hence the need to unify provisions of RA 7586 (National Integrated Protected Areas System [NIPAS] of 1992) and RA 8371 (Indigenous People's Rights Act [IPRA] of 1997), with relevant energy policies and programs for an integrated response to environmental and sociocultural concerns.