To lure more companies to engage in the generation of electricity in the country, Senator Win Gatchalian is seeking the lifting of the public offering requirement provision in the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 or the EPIRA law.

Senator Win Gatchalian moved for the conduct of inquiry in the Senate on the recent spate of rotational brownouts in Luzon in the hope of providing a long-term solution to electricity supply shortages especially during the summer season.

Consumer demand for electric vehicles (EVs) in the country is likely to perk up especially as it will be proven to be more affordable in the long run than the traditional gas-powered ones and transform the entire automotive industry once the proposed Electric Vehicles and Charging Stations Act is enacted into law, Senator Win Gatchalian said.

Senator Win Gatchalian compelled the Department of Energy (DOE) to divulge its plans and programs on Malampaya in light of the divestment of its operator Shell Philippines Exploration B.V. (SPEX) and the nearing expiration of Petroleum Service Contract (SC) No. 38 or the Malampaya deep water gas-to-power project to ensure the future of its operations and the continuous supply of energy in the country.

A landmark energy legislation that will increase the country’s supply of natural gas from liquefied natural gas (LNG) sources and avert possible energy security crisis from happening when operations of the Malampaya gas field project close for good in the near future has been placed for floor debates in the Senate.

Senator Win Gatchalian called on the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) and the Department of Energy (DOE) to look into the reported unplanned outages of some power plants in Luzon that recently triggered a spike in consumers’ electricity bills.

The accumulation of household wastes as a result of the lockdowns, including medical wastes, has given rise to the need for proper waste management and other solid waste management treatment facilities to include waste-to-energy (WTE) facilities as an appropriate waste management strategy, said Senator Win Gatchalian, adding that the Department of Health (DOH) requires medical wastes to undergo waste treatment before being hauled to disposal facilities.

Senator Win Gatchalian called on energy sector agencies and other stakeholders to ensure uninterrupted and reliable power supply while strict home quarantine is called to be observed in all households and while the government rolls out its COVID-19 vaccination program.

Senator Win Gatchalian recommended to the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) the inclusion of electrical linemen and meter readers in the priority list of the government’s COVID-19 vaccination program, stressing their importance in the country’s energy security and continuous supply of power.