Re-energized

I THINK most people have a strong feeling when they have completed big projects that have taken much of their attention and effort for an extended period of time. Perhaps they feel relief or satisfaction. In my case, I find myself feeling restless and wondering aloud what kinds of new trouble I can get myself into. I need to look no further than the Philippines' energy sector for that, with several developments and trends having taken shape while I was occupied with other things.

At the beginning of the month, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) held its annual Clean Energy Forum, and while broad forums, as I have said before, tend to be aspirational and generalized, there were some things that emerged in the various discussions that will have a bearing on the Philippines over the next few years. Some of these are potentially promising, but most seem definitely problematic.