When used strategically, nuclear energy can even efficiently expand and work together with renewable sources such as wind and solar, facilitating a smooth shift to cleaner energy. The local power industry is increasingly acknowledging the technology’s capacity to meet our current energy demands, and a clear and united emphasis on nuclear’s role in shaping the future is becoming evident.
What is also commendable is that even before the government’s recent policy-related announcement, the private sector, through Meralco, the nation’s largest distribution utility, had already pioneered the push toward nuclear as it made substantial efforts in research and transparency. This early on, Meralco is already working towards a better understanding of the potential role of nuclear in carving the path towards a sustainable energy future. The electricity distributor is walking the talk by investing heavily on research and education. Aside from a feasibility study, Meralco also launched the Filipino Scholars and Interns on Nuclear Engineering program, the only organization that has thus done so, so far.
By investing heavily and committing substantial resources to research and development, Meralco stands at the forefront of nuclear technology exploration. Its dedicated efforts are geared towards diversifying the country’s energy sources and cultivating a pool of highly skilled technical professionals capable of operating and advancing new technologies when they become available.
When I was still working in a corporate setting, a fellow executive once thanked me for strongly voicing sentiments in a planning session that he said were shared by a number of other executives but were afraid to...