Green energy group lauds cancellation of 660-MW Subic coal project

The Power for People Coalition (P4P) on Wednesday lauded the cancellation of an energy consortium’s plan to put up a 660-megawatt coal fired power plant in Subic, Zambales.

In a statement, P4P said Redondo Peninsula Energy Inc., a joint venture between Meralco’s generation arm Meralco PowerGen, Aboitiz Power Corporation, and Taiwan Cogeneration Corp., has said it will no longer pursue the coal-fired plant project.

The consortium has announced that it will move away from coal and is reserving the site for a possible gas project.

“While the cancellation of the Subic coal plant is a welcome development, we no longer find it surprising given the many triumphs that groups advocating for clean energy have won over it,” said Gerry Arances, Convenor of P4P.

“We hope the shelving of the Subic project means Meralco is finally starting to see sense and would soon have more coal cancellations to announce,” Arances said.

P4P said the cancellation of the Subic coal plant is built on the decade-long resistance of local communities.

“The cancellation of RP Energy’s coal plant is an encouragement for us to continue working to free Subic from the threat of dirty energy,” said Jen Velarmino Van der Heijde, President of Subic Bay Freeport Chamber for Health and Environment Conservation (SBFCHEC).—LDF, GMA News