Aquino hopeful to get emergency powers sooner

MANILA, Philippines - President Benigno Aquino III expressed optimism on Monday that Congress will grant him emergency powers sooner to avert a looming energy shortage next year.

Speaking at the inauguration of SM City North EDSA's solar-powered rooftop, Aquino again warned that Luzon might experience a shortage of 330 megawatts to 1,000 megawatts next summer if the government does not adjust accordingly.

Aquino recognized the House of Representatives Committee on Energy's recent approval of the joint resolution authorizing him and the national government to contract additional generating capacity as mandated by the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) to deal with the projected power shortage.

"We are hopeful that both the House and the Senate will approve the joint resolution we requested sooner rather than later in order to give the national government enough time to contract the necessary reserves," Aquino said in his televised speech.

The President assured that the national government is doing everything to address the potential energy crisis.

"This is not a challenge the national government can overcome alone, which is why we are all working with all sectors to address this issue," he said.

Aquino reiterated that the government's long term goal is to ensure reliable, clean and reasonably priced power supply for the country.

"We are on our way towards achieving that goal," he said.

From 2014 to 2018, an additional 5,098 megawatts are expected to come online nationwide, Aquino revealed.