THE Department of Energy (DOE) has recently stepped up its promotion of a 'balanced' energy mix for the Philippines, with Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla sharing those views with the audience of a forum hosted by the Stratbase ADR Institute in Makati and DOE Assistant Secretary Mario Marasigan carrying the message to another forum in Cebu. While the idea of a 'balanced energy mix' has already come under fire from renewable energy and emissions-reduction absolutists, it is, in fact, the most sensible and practical approach to the country's broader needs, including sustainability.

In the Makati event, Secretary Lotilla pointed out that transforming the energy sector has to complement the country's aspirations for economic growth and poverty reduction, the latter being 'the no. 1 goal among the Sustainable Development Goals.'