Philippines looks to geothermal

For clean, reliable power supplyFor the last several years, acute power shortages in the Philippines have posed a threat to economic progress, as blackouts and brownouts of up to 10 hours a day have interrupted commercial activity, causing unemployment and costing the developing country an estimated (US)$1 billion annually.

To resolve this power crisis, the government is tapping into geothermal energy, a vast indigenous, environmentally-benign resource. A (US)$227 million World Bank loan, along with commercial financing supported by the bank and grants from the Global Environment Facility and other sources, will aid the country in establishing a reliable power supply for the Luzon region, which includes Manila, the country`s largest industrial and population center.