Cusi Pushes Energy Resiliency

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As part of President Duterte’s directive to develop a resilient energy sector, the Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi yesterday signed the Energy Resiliency Policy entitled “Adoption of Energy Resiliency in the Planning and Programming of the Energy Sector to Mitigate Potential Impacts of Disasters”.

Secretary Cusi said the Energy Resiliency Policy will aid industry partners to plan and address potential impacts of disasters since the Philippines is one of the most vulnerable countries to disasters.

The Energy Resiliency Policy revolves around four principles: (1) strengthen existing infrastructure facilities; (2) implement the Build Back Better principle in terms of reconstruction and rehabilitation; (3) improve existing operational, maintenance and practices to ensure continuous operations and energy supply; and (4) develop resiliency standards that will be used as basis in the future construction of energy facilities.

“These principles are geared towards mainstreaming disaster risk reduction to ensure energy resiliency as a priority to protect the people,” Cusi said.

One of the key features of the policy is the institutionalization of the Resiliency Compliance Plan, which provides engineering and non-engineering measures to ensure infrastructure and human resource disaster preparedness.

“Through this policy, we enjoin all the energy stakeholders to put upfront disaster risk reduction programs into their respective planning and investments,” Cusi pointed out.

To oversee the implementation of the policy, the DOE is strengthening the Inter-agency Task Force on Securing Energy Facilities through the creation of the Task Force on Energy Resiliency.

The Task Force is composed of representatives from the National Electrification Administration (NEA), National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), National Power Corporation (NPC), National Transmission Corporation (TransCo), Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC), Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation (PSALM). The Task Force will continue its partnership with the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police and the other agencies under the Department of National Defense.

The Energy Resiliency Policy is anchored on President Duterte’s directive to improve the resiliency of the country.

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