If you think electricity is expensive, why not go the alternative route? It was recently announced that the Philippines is now the largest and fastest-growing generator of electricity from wind in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), a collection of 10 countries.
According to former senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, the country is rich in wind resources because it is a mountainous archipelago with an extensive coastline and good elevation. To date, the country’s wind farms produce an aggregated capacity of almost 400 megawatts (MW). Zubiri added that this number could quadruple to up to 1,600 MWs in two to three years.
The wind farms in Burgos, Ilocos Norte is the largest in Southeast Asia and produces 150 MW.
Based on a study by the US National Energy Laboratory, some of the best wind farms in the Philippines can be found in the “Batanes province, the north and northwest coast of Luzon, the northeast and east-facing coasts of Luzon and Samar, the southeast coast of Mindanao, and the straits between Mindoro and Luzon, Mindoro and Panay, and Panay and Negros.”
In the Philippines, there are 10,000 square kilometers of land areas with good-to-excellent wind resources, which can accommodate up to 44 potential wind energy projects that could provide an additional 1,168 MW of electricity.
Zubiri, who wrote the Renewable Energy Law of 2008, said that wind energy is a good alternative because it is abundant, widely distributed, and produces zero harmful carbon dioxide emissions. It also uses little land, meaning the spaces between turbines can be used for agriculture and other purposes.
In effect, more than 2.9 million jobs have been created because of wind energy.
What other alternative forms can we use? Share your thoughts below!
