Nonrenewable energy sources

Advantages

Problemslconstraints

Oil

- Oil-based power plants can be

- Air pollution.

built near end-user sites.

- Contributes significantly to the build

- Relatively shorter time to build compared to other conventional power plants.

up of greenhouse gases, especially CO₂.

- Mainly imported and represents huge drain on foreign currency reserves.

Sourcing by Region (1990)

Local (Palawan) 2 %

Middle East 80 %

Asia 17 %

Other regions 1%

- Price and supply are affected by events in oil-producing countries.

Coal

- Commercially significant deposits exist in the country.

- Air pollution; contributor of CO₂, one of the greenhouse gases and also of sulfur dioxide, SO₂, which is a contributor to acid rain.

- Water pollution.

a. Potential for foreign currency savings.

- Coal mining, especially through the open-pit type, is environmentally destructive.

b. Reduced impact of adverse developments in the global energy market.

- Coal mining presents serious occupational health hazards.

- Low quality of most local deposits (subbituminous and lignite):

- Coal deposits in the country are dispersed leading to high transport costs.

Nuclear

- Requires relatively little land for the- amount of energy derived.

- Thermal pollution.

- Discounting leaks and accidents, does not contribute to air and water pollution.

- Disposal of radioactive wastes remains a big issue.

- Catastropic consequences in case of an accident.

- Requires huge capital investments.

- Dependence on foreign technologists.

- Dependence on imported enriched uranium.

Natural gas

- Cleaner burning, i.e., less- polluting, compared to the other fossil fuels.

- Although natural gas has been found in the country, this energy source has not been exploited. Doing so may require large initial investments.

Renewable energy sources

Geothermal

- Significant reserves available in the country.

- Destruction of forests; clearing of large tracts of land:

- Foreign currency savings.

a. Loss of wildlife habitat.

- Minimal pollution

b. Displacement of local populace.

- Lessens impact of adverse

- Huge capital investment.

Developments in the global energy market.

Hydropower

- Non-polluting.

- Huge capital investments.

(large)

- No fuel costs; foreign currency savings.

- Submersion of large tracts of land; alteration of hydrological features of vast areas:

- Lessens impact of adverse developments in the global

a. loss of wildlife habitat: end,

energy market.

b. displacement of local populace.

- Dams aid the spread of water-borne diseases, such as malaria and schistosomiasis.

Mini and micro

- Non-polluting.

- High initial costs in local or community level terms.

hydropower

- No displacement of local populace.

- Technical skills required to build such plants are not available locally.

- Lesser impact on hydrology.

- Can be built on a scale more

appropriate to the requirements

of end users.

- Feasible alternative to areas

not served by regular power

lines.

Biomass

- Utilizes wastes which would otherwise contribute to disposal and pollution problems.

- Supply and collection of materials limit the viability to local levels.

- Foreign currency savings (13 percent of Philippine energy consumption are now met by biomass.)

bagasse, rice, husks, straw, etc.

- Locally feasible in areas where materials are abundant.

- Competes with other uses such as fertilizer.

- Collection may be a problem.

- Burning contributes to the build-up of greenhouse gases.

- biogas

- Clean-burning; non-polluting.

- High initial cost in household-level

- Slurry may be used as organic

terms.

fertilizer.

- Requires a not inconsiderable amount of maintenance.

- Requires a sufficient number of animals in one or several nearby sites or else collection of manure may be a problem.

Fuelwood

- Still widely available in most rural areas although shortages are being felt in some.

- Contributes to de forestation especially mangroves and in areas with rapid population.

- Burning adds to the build-up of the greenhouse gases.

- Replanting required.

Solar

- Minimal operating expense; no fuel cost

- High initial cost in local or community level terms.

- Non-polluting.

- Can be tapped practically in all rural areas (and unshaded urban areas), especially in isolated places which are not reached by regular power lines.

Wind

- Minimal operating expenses; no fuel cost.

- High initial cost in local or community Ievel terms.

- Non-polluting.

- Feasible only in areas where wind

- May be feasible in areas isolated from regular power lines.

factors are favorable.