CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (July 24, 2025, 10:33 p.m.) – Civil society groups in this city and the Northern Mindanao region have expressed their readiness to collaborate with government agencies to facilitate Mindanao’s transition to renewable energy sources

In an interview Thursday, Ben Cyrus Ellorin, head of the Consumers for Renewable Energy Action in Mindanao (CREAM), cited the importance of accelerating the energy transition as crucial for developing resilient communities, especially as climate change impacts become more frequent and intense.

“There are low-hanging fruits in Mindanao’s energy transition,” Ellorin said, explaining that the island’s dependence on clean and affordable hydropower shifted to coal and diesel only in the past nine years.

He pointed out that the current energy situation forces industries and businesses in resource-rich Mindanao to pay high electricity rates, with energy costs accounting for 20 percent to 50 percent of their operating expenses due to excessive reliance on imported fossil fuels like coal.

One proposed solution is the rehabilitation and uprating of the Agus-Pulangi Hydropower Complex (APHC). The generation cost at the APHC is projected to be less than PHP 2 per kilowatt-hour, making it a viable “low-hanging fruit” for the energy transition.

David Tauli, director of the Institute of Power Sector Economics, who is also with the Konsumanteng Kagayanon, noted that some groups are aiming for renewable energy parity by 2030 and implementing Electricity Decarbonization Programs (EDPs).

Tauli explained that EDPs aim to “democratize” renewable energy, allowing consumers to shift some of their current supply from coal power plants to rooftop solar systems. He added that they aim for at least 10 million households to participate by 2030.

In a policy brief released earlier this month, Konsumanteng Kagayanon stated its goal of achieving a 50 percent to 60 percent share of renewable energy by 2030, advocating for green energy to become as affordable as conventional sources.

Meanwhile, Al Brito, president of the Cagayan de Oro Chamber of Commerce, stated that the immediate rehabilitation and uprating of the APHC have the potential to maximize investment, which would result from lower power rates.

“High electricity prices are driving away investors, depriving Mindanaoans of opportunities to earn decent jobs,” he said.

The CREAM project primarily aims to raise awareness about climate change and empower consumers to demand clean, affordable, and reliable energy, with a focus on hydroelectric and solar power for Mindanao. (Nef Luczon/PNA)