Philippine government pushes geothermal

MANILA, Philippines, July 16 (UPI) -- The Philippine Department of Energy has signed several geothermal contracts.

The three separate deals all reportedly involve the exploration and development of geothermal energy sources, The Manila Times reported.

The Energy Department's contracts are with the Guidance Management Corp., Biliran Geothermal Inc. and Basic Energy Corp.

The Philippines has already developed several geothermal projects, but the renewable resource provides the nation with less than one-third of its power.

Like many other countries, the Philippines is looking to expand its renewable resources and cut back on energy use to save money and protect the environment, Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes told The Manila Times.

The government's goal, he said, is to be the world's biggest geothermal energy producer by the end of 2018.