ICSC: Outages on Luzon grid show need for flexible, distributed energy
by Angelica Y. Yang/Philstar.com | June 22, 2022 | READ THE STORY HERE MANILA, Philippines — Problems with power supply on the Luzon grid, which was placed on red alert and saw power outages last Saturday — highlight the need for flexible and distributed power system that is not dependent on large centralized power plants, a local climate and energy policy group said. Supply has been tight this week, with coal-fired plants going offline in Tuesday and Wednesday. Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) chief data scientist Jephraim Manansala said in a statement Wednesday that making up for [...]
Group warns anew of power outages during elections amid coal plant shutdowns
by Angelica Y. Yang | April 28, 2022| Published by Philstar.com | READ THE STORY HERE MANILA, Philippines — Manila-based policy group Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) stood by its power outlook for the 2022 elections, warning anew that power interruptions may take place during and after polls as baseload coal-fired power plants continue to go on unplanned shutdowns. ICSC earlier forecasted that there will be tight power supply during the second quarter, with a chance of a red alert status- which may cause rotating power outages- across the Luzon power grid. In an emailed statement on [...]
NGOs say ADB climate financing targets not ambitious enough
by Angelica Y. Yang | October 17, 2021 | Published by BusinessWorld | READ THE STORY HERE A network of civil society groups said the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) updated climate financing target of $100 billion is “un-ambitious,” adding that the eligibility requirements for projects to be funded are vague. The banks’ new financing target is an upgrade from its previous goal of $80 billion. The new target covers the years 2019 to 2030. “A commitment of $10 billion per year with ambiguous benchmarking standards can hardly be called ambitious,” NGO Forum on ADB Energy Policy and Campaigns Strategist [...]
NGO says RE plants prone to fewer outages than coal-fired facilities
by Angelica Y. Yang | October 14, 2021 | Published by BusinessWorld | READ THE STORY HERE Non-government organization (NGO) Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) said Thursday that renewable energy (RE) facilities are more reliable than coal-run plants, citing data on outages from the wholesale electricity spot market. In a virtual briefing, ICSC Energy Transition Advisor Alberto R. Dalusung III said solar, biomass and wind plants have historically registered fewer outage days compared to coal plants. The claim was based on an analysis of spot market data collected between 2017 and mid-June 2021, which tallied 41 outage days a [...]
China’s move vs coal seen to expedite PHL energy transition
by Angelica Yang | October 6, 2021 | Published by BusinessWorld | READ THE STORY HERE CHINA’S MOVE to stop building new coal plants abroad will likely speed up the Philippines’ energy transition away from coal and other inflexible baseload power generation projects, according to nongovernment organization Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC). Chinese President Xi Jinping last month announced that the country “will not build new coal-fired power projects abroad” while ramping up support for emerging nations to develop green and low-carbon projects. “We certainly expect Xi’s announcement to further accelerate the energy transition in the Philippines. [...]