Philippines DOE sees 500 MW solar capacity by 2015

Realizing that the nation’s existing 50 megawatt (MW) feed-in tariff (FIT) allocation for solar power is not adequate to encourage the development of new projects, the Philippines Department of Energy is considering a plan to increase the FIT allocation by as much as 450 MW by 2015, The Manila Times reported on May 6. “I want to put up additional solar [power projects] because the profile of solar really fits in [during] summer, and we have the highest demand during summer,” Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla told the newspaper in an interview. “We want to make it up to 500 MW on one condition—all the projects should be completed by March 15, 2015,” he added. The FIT subsidy in the Philippines today is 9.63 pesos (about 22 cents U.S.) per kilowatt-hour; DOE wants to lower that to a range between 8.50 and 9 pesos per kilowatt-hour. Petilla said that the new plan is not final but should be issued within the year.