Possible put up of windmills projected

City officials earlier requested a renewable energy corporation to assess the possibility of putting up windmills to generate renewable energy within the Baguio-La Trinidad-Itogon-Sablan-Tuba-Tublay (BLISTT) area.

Under Resolution No. 082, series of 2023, local legislators stated that the local government will reportedly champion green infrastructure projects that will contribute in reducing energy consumption and translate to lower expenses on the part of the concerned local governments within the BLISTT area.

Earlier, the Philippines planned to reap vast socio-economic and environmental benefits from a more aggressive wind power development starting in the year 2022 as part of a more ambitious green-led recovery from the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic as per a report by Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC).

In a recent study made by the GWEC in collaboration with BVG Associates, entitled ‘Capturing Green Recovery Opportunities from Wind Power in Developing Economies,’ The Philippines could see more than $1.1 billion, or roughly P56 billion of gross value added to the economy with more than 1,650 megawatts of wind installations under a more ambitious approach from 2022-2026.

Currently, a renewable power corporation is building over 1,000 megawatts of solar and wind projects in the different parts of the country of which around 700 megawatts is expected to start operations within the next 12 months that would surely help alleviate the supply pressure.

Further, the same would also help the country achieve its renewable energy targets by increasing the share of renewable energy in its energy mix to 35 percent by 2023 and 50 percent by 2040.

The council noted that the same is in conformity with Ordinance No. 18, series of 2016 or the city’s Environment Code and Ordinance No. 43, series of 2018 which mandates all government facilities such office buildings, schools, hospitals, barangay halls, day care centers, health centers, covered courts, streetlights, overpasses, parks, and treatment plants to use energy-saving technologies like LED light boards and renewable energy like solar, wind, hydro and geothermal. – Dexter A. See