'Earth Hour' impact in Luzon equivalent to shutdown of coal-fired power plant

MANILA, Philippines - Last Saturday's symbolic lights-out in Luzon, or the so-called "Earth Hour," has generated savings equivalent to the shutdown of a coal-fired power plant for one hour. This was the initial finding of environmental group World Wide Fund for Nature based on a recorded 56-megawatt drop in consumption for Luzon. Preliminary data from the Philippine Electricity Market Corp., which runs the wholesale electricity spot market, noted a 56-MW drop in consumption in Luzon against a projected use of 5,700 MW between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. The data, released by the Manila Electric Co., however did not indicate the power source mix from where the savings was generated — either from the WESM which is a trading system for electricity supply or through the National Power Corp. In a press statement, WWF claimed that the 56-MW savings was equivalent to greenhouse gas emitted by 30 tons of coal, enough to shut down a coal-fired power plant. "That 56 MW can already power up several big housing subdivisions in Makati," said Elpi O. Cuna, Meralco vice-president for corporate communications. Spearheaded by WWF, Earth Hour, started in Sydney last year, seeks to raise public awareness on conserving energy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that destroy the earth’s atmosphere. This year, over 24 global cities from Asia, Europe and America committed to participate in the event. Mr. Cuna said although the impact on reducing power consumption was minimal last Saturday, the event’s goal to make a statement was successful. "The event is just a symbolism that people can be compelled to make a move in conserving energy for the environment." Among the areas which spearheaded the event were the cities of Pasay, Manila and Parañaque. A switch-off ceremony was held along Roxas Blvd. led by WWF and Energy department officials in what was called "symbolic darkness." "We believe in sustainability, and our company, among other companies here, wants to help out on environmental concerns," Rico A. Gonzales, Philips Electronics and Lighting, Inc. chief executive officer and country manager, said in an interview with BusinessWorld. Jollibee Foods Corp. official announced during an Earth Hour program in front of the Cultural Center of the Philippines that they shut off all signages in all branches of Jollibee nationwide and in subsidiaries Greenwich, Red Ribbon, and Deli France. Visayas, Mindanao support In the Visayas, about 40% of the business establishments in Bacolod City turned off their lights, police precinct 1 commander Chief Inspector Noel Manaay said. Most of the establishments close at 7 p.m. in the city, while the big malls close at 9 p.m., he said, adding several residents along the shoreline also joined the power shutdown. SM City Bacolod turned off its signages, facade lights, pylon tower, and perimeter areas. In Mindanao, Zamboanga City Electric Cooperative Inc. (Zamcelco) shut down for 15 minutes and gradually opened 18 feeders with an interval of five minutes. Zamcelco is the sole provider of electricity in Zamboanga and supplies power to 90,000 households and 700 industrial and commercial establishments. In Davao, Earth Hour seemed insignificant as only a few participated in the event with approximately 40% led by nongovernmental organizations. Other areas which also participated are Mandaluyong, Quezon, and Caloocan in Metro Manila, Baguio City, Puerto Princesa City (Palawan), Tarlac, San Fernando and Bauang in La Union, Ormoc (Leyte), and Tawi-Tawi, among others. "The response we got was nothing short of amazing. Filipinos truly showed the world that we can unite and stand together against climate change," said Yeb Saño, WWF climate change and energy program head. Earth Hour Philippines was a joint venture of WWF, Department of Energy, Presidential Task Force on Climate Change, Green Army, Earthday Network and Philips Lighting Systems. — Ava Kashima K. Austria, Darwin T. Wee, Chrysee G. Samillano and Hernani P. de Leon