Bacolod City welcomes electric jeepneys

BACOLOD CITY — Negros Occidental, the first Philippine province to embrace a 100% renewable energy target, today renewed its strong commitment to help stop climate change with the launch of the Electric Jeepneys in Bacolod City by GRIPP (Green Renewable Independent Power Producer) and Greenpeace.

The launch, which established Bacolod alongside Makati City as a pilot
area for GRIPP’s Climate Friendly Cities project, coincided with the
visit of Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who was present
for the public viewing of the Electric Jeepneys. GRIPP and Greenpeace
used the occasion to present their call to the President for the
national government to support the large-scale replication of the
project in cities around the country, and to enable the massive uptake
of renewable energy alternatives in order to mitigate climate change.

“Bacolod and Makati cities have demonstrated that local governments can
take action and play a critical role in contributing to global efforts
at curbing dangerous climate change even while they forge real,
sustainable solutions that address festering environmental problems at
the local level like air pollution and municipal waste. By taking on
this project, along with its commitment to obtain energy only from
renewable sources, Bacolod proves that solutions to climate change are
both practical and doable,” said Athena Ronquillo, Chair of GRIPP’s
Board of Trustee, and also Greenpeace International Climate and Energy
Campaigner.

Support on a national level, however, is crucial to ensure the
successful replication of the project. GRIPP and Greenpeace called on
the national government to help reduce tariffs for pioneering RE
technologies including those for sustainable public transport, and to
provide technical, financial and institutional support for renewable
energy-based power plants, particularly bio-gas power stations which,
under the project, will power the Electric Jeepneys. In addition, GRIPP
urged the government to set up innovative financial mechanisms for
transport cooperatives and jeepney drivers who are interested in the
electric jeepney, so that these sectors may avail of concessionary, low
interest financial assistance from local and national development and
funding institutions.

As part of the launch, Bacolod City, represented by Mayor Evelio
Leonardia, entered into a Memorandum of Agreement with GRIPP to
facilitate the implementation of the project, including the provision of
the bio-gas power station. As in the case of Makati City, Bacolod’s
Electric Jeepneys will undergo intensive commercial testing for six
months before the rest of the fleet and the power plant officially start
operations.

The Electric Jeepneys are part of GRIPP’s Climate Friendly Cities
project, a multi-pronged initiative that aims to use energy from
biodegradable waste from the city’s wet markets, food establishments,
and households to power an environment-friendly public transport system.
With the establishment of the biodigester power plant, the project
therefore goes beyond the concept of the smoke emission-free electric
vehicle, and promotes the generation of cleaner, safer, renewable energy
alternatives as opposed to climate change-inducing fossil fuels used by
majority of power plants around the country.

The project, particularly the development of the initial 50-strong fleet
of Electric Jeepneys to be leased to pilot cities, is largely funded by
the Dutch DOEN Foundation which provides funding to organizations and
projects in the fields of sustainable development, culture, welfare and
social cohesion.

GRIPP and Greenpeace, as well as DOEN, hope that the project will be
replicated in more cities in the country and in Southeast Asia.

“The country needs visionary leadership at the local and national levels
to avert the climate crisis and to drive the transition towards a truly
sustainable energy future. By extending support to the Climate Friendly
Cities project and by committing, in a larger scale, to the passing of a
strong renewable energy legislation, the national government can
demonstrate a genuine concern for addressing energy security and climate
change,” said Ronquillo.