Reuters, MANILAThe Philippines plans to prepare a detailed plan for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on how it could embark on a nuclear power program, Philippine Secretary of Energy Alfonso Cusi said yesterday, backing a push for the country to tap nuclear energy. The Philippine Department of Energy has been studying the use of nuclear power, a divisive issue in the country due to safety concerns. Duterte has said that safety would be his top consideration in deciding whether the country would pursue nuclear energy. Nuclear power is seen as a potential answer to the Philippines’ twin problems of precarious supply and the high cost of electricity, although Cusi said that other options were also being considered. The government is looking at deploying small modular nuclear plants to some of the country’s islands still suffering from power shortage, Cusi said.

Source: Taipei Times October 30, 2019 16:07 UTC