DOE Pushes More Safety Measures in the RE Sector

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E-SAFETY FIRST: DOE-REMB Geothermal Energy Management Division Chief Ariel D. Fronda presents the draft Renewable Energy Safety, Health and Environment Rules and Regulations (RESHERR) Code of Practice to the participants during the public consultation Tuesday in Cagayan de Oro City.

The Department of Energy (DOE), today held a public consultation in its bid to enforce operational safety and security in the renewable energy (RE) sector. Led by the Renewable Energy Management Bureau (REMB), the public consultation focused on the draft Renewable Energy Safety, Health and Environment Rules and Regulations (RESHERR) Code of Practice.

The event aimed to inform the RE developers on the "E-Safety" tenet of the DOE's E-Power Mo campaign, and to solicit their inputs on the RESHERR draft. About 20 RE developers from Mindanao participated in the public consultation.

Earlier, Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi said that part of the DOE’s push for energy diversification and resiliency is the promotion of additional RE in the country’s energy mix. “We are doing everything we can to empower Filipino consumers by giving them access to renewable energy development,” said Cusi. In pursuing this policy, he stressed that it should take into consideration the factors of safety and cost effectiveness for the consumers.

The RESHERR Code of Practice will set internal and external operational safety guidelines for all RE facilities. In addition, it also contains provisions addressing environmental concerns, such as air, land and water pollution resulting from RE activities.

RE developers would likewise be able to use the code in conforming to the Energy Resiliency Compliance Plan, which would institutionalize national adaptive standards against human-induced and natural disasters.

Among the topics discussed during the consultation include the general safety guidelines, workplace safety monitoring and control, requirements needed for electrical work, demolitions, and the precautionary measures in dealing with hazardous, flammable and explosive materials.

The public consultation was sponsored by the United Nations Development Programme - Development for Renewable Energy Applications Mainstreaming and Market Sustainability (DREAMS) project.

The project was the product of the partnership between the DOE and the Global Environment Facility-UNDP. Similar public consultations were earlier held in Cebu (6 June) and Manila (18 June).

The DOE continues to accept comments and suggestions on the RESHERR draft to ensure a more comprehensive policy issuance. Interested parties may email their inputs to mikko.realo@yahoo.com on or before Thursday, 5 July 2018.

Interested parties may access the draft policy on DOE's official website (http://bit.ly/DraftRESHERRPolicy).

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