SEOUL, South Korea—The question about alternatives to coal-fired plants had been bothering me while going over the anti-coal ash polemics while in Cebu and prodded me to accept Gov. Gwen Garcia’s invitation to take a look at the power plants in South Korea the past few days.

Yes, we still need to verify if the coal ash in Naga has over-concentration of mercury and arsenic. The environmentalists are claiming that several decades of coal ash from the old Napocor plants are taking its toll. They are reportedly taking samples for testing in the US. Government agencies, on the other hand, say the concentration levels are within safe limits.

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In the briefings during the plant visits of the Cebu delegation led by Governor Garcia, officials of the Korean Electric Power Corp. (Kepco) also assured that the high quality coal they intend to use in the two modern coal plants being built in Naga will not contain mercury or arsenic. The modern circulating fluidized bed combustion technology will remove the sulfur oxide and nitrogen oxide.

Assuming that the harm that the environmentalists are saying is true, still the plants provide base-load power that makes not only electric bulbs light up and our household appliances work but also fuels our economy. Even the ubiquitous cell phones we carry around need to be charged at least once a day.

For Cebuanos, frequent or extended blackouts are something that is unacceptable. This is a certainty if we immediately stop reliance on coal-fired power plants.

Solar and wind power technologies are not yet that developed to supply enough reliable and affordable electricity. The blackouts we suffered when something happened to the submarine cables that connect Cebu to the geothermal sources in Leyte or Negros also makes us demand for independent sources in the island.

Does this mean we are torn between enjoying reliable power and risking environmental disaster or suffering years of brownouts to ensure environmental safety? Should we focus on environmental safety and weaken ourselves economically and sacrifice enjoyment of modern amenities?

As I have discussed in past columns, environmentalists generally gloss over talks about alternatives and focus more on environmental harm.

Nevertheless, this trip to South Korea showed me the possibility of a middle ground to this dilemma. Consider the following observations:

One, advances in coal technology has greatly reduced harmful emissions and toxic substances from giant coal-fired plants in DongHae and Dangjin that produce 400-1000 megawatts.

Two, the South Korean government has imposed strict measures to ensure emissions and other toxic substances from the coal-fired plants fall below international limits.

Three, the South Koreans are consciously exploring the use of renewable energy as evidenced by the windmills the Cebu delegation saw on top of hills at the tourism resort in Gangwon Province along with their reliance for base-load on other energy sources like coal.

Three, concern for the environment seems to have become a way of life for South Koreans.

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