The Negros Oriental Chamber of Commerce & Industry Inc. has reiterated its official stand against coal power plants and mining operations in the province.
NOCCI President Edward Du stressed Friday that as a matter of policy, the chamber will oppose the entry of mining firms and coal plants in Negros Oriental as environmental protection is one of their advocacies.
Du said they are instead backing 100 percent the operations of renewable energy such as geothermal, solar, wind, biomass and hydro.
If exhausted, then the province or Negros Island for that matter may start looking at non-renewable energy but for now, there is more than enough renewable energy here, he said.
“We are blessed to have both geothermal and solar power on the island”, said Du.
But geothermal is still the best form of renewable energy here because solar does not operate 24/7 and cannot be used as baseload power, he pointed out.
Asked for his reaction to the rejection of Regina Lopez as secretary of the Department of Environment & Natural Resources, Du said it obviously shows that the pro-mining lobby groups had more influence in Congress than those opposed to mining.
“But that is the name of the game; it’s a numbers game and that’s the reality”, said Du of appointees nominated to posts by the President but who get rejected by Congress.
The NOCCI President said he is hopeful the next appointee would also have the same passion as Lopez’ to oppose mining and coal operations as well as to preserve and protect the environment.
Du also clarified that NOCCI will respect whoever gets appointed as DENR secretary regardless of that person’s stand against the mining and coal power industries.
However, NOCCI will still remain firm in their stand that they will oppose the entry of these businesses to Negros Oriental and Negros Island.
Lopez, during an interview here recently, had said that coal posed a threat to people and the environment.
She said she had done four studies on coal and all showed that fisheries, agriculture, the people and the air suffer from its effects.
“You think it’s cheap energy, it’s not cheap. The poor people around are the ones subsidizing the cost of cheap energy”, she said.
According to her, she is very much into renewable energy, not because her family is into it, but “it’s the way to go”.
The Lopez group of companies owns and operates geothermal power plants in the country.
“The worst coal (plant) is Semirara,” Lopez pointed out, “and it’s really, really bad,” she added.
The price of solar is going down, Lopez also noted.
And they can compete anytime and in two to three years, solar can compete with other forms of renewable energy, she added. (Judy Flores-Partlow)
