Philippine agencies commit to President Marcos Jr.’s goal of building 200 power plants in three years to electrify 4 million households. Focus on renewable energy and addressing power issues in remote areas like Siquijor.
The Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Electrification Administration (NEA) have pledged to comply with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to complete about 200 power plants within the next three years. These plants are intended to provide electricity to an estimated 4 million households.
NEA administrator Antonio Mariano Almeda cited the agency’s commitment to the president’s mandate and its readiness to deliver on the challenge.
Almeda reiterated the President’s order during his State of the Nation Address for the NEA, in coordination with the DOE, to continue efforts in stabilizing the energy supply in Siquijor province and to implement permanent solutions to prevent future power issues.
Tetchi Capellan, founder and chair of the Philippine Solar and Storage Energy Alliance, cited the economic benefits of electrifying small islands.
“Focusing on small islands electrification will improve the economy of the towns and communities (boost their tourism and improve agriculture potential) as well uplift the living conditions of the Filipinos,” Capellan said.
She said batteries with digital solutions offer efficient, clean, and reliable technologies, providing a path forward for small island electrification.
President Marcos detailed his administration’s goal to connect an additional 4 million households to the power grid within the next three years by completing nearly 200 power plants.
“In the next 3 years, we will complete almost 200 plants. This has the capacity to power 4 million households or more than 200,000 factories, or almost 7,000 offices and businesses,” Marcos Jr. said in his SONA.
Despite a rising number of power plants utilizing various technologies such as solar, wind, and gas, Marcos acknowledged that some areas in the country still lack electricity.
He noted that 3 million households remain without power, even after the government connected 2.5 million households in the past three years.
The president also addressed the frequent brownouts and high electricity prices. “There are frequent brownouts, as well as high electricity prices. That’s why we are speeding up the connection and strengthening the capacity of our electricity producers,” he said.
He said the DOE and NEA would strive to meet the target number of connected households by 2028, particularly in the provinces of Quezon, Camarines Norte, Palawan, Masbate, Samar, Negros Occidental, and Zamboanga del Sur
The president also mentioned the government’s consideration of solar home systems to address household connections.
“And by the end of 2028, more than 1 million more households will have electricity, through solar power home systems,” he said.
To further support consumers, the president announced that the DOE would advance the net metering program, and the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) would expedite its approval process.
Marcos specifically addressed the widespread brownout and subsequent declaration of a state of calamity in Siquijor.
“This affected the people there, their tourism, their businesses, hospitals, various services,” he said. An investigation into the incident revealed “expired permits, broken generators that were clearly neglected. Slow action, and the lack of a system for purchasing crude oil and parts.”
The president ordered the DOE, NEA and Energy Regulatory Commission to restore electricity service in Siquijor before the end of the year. He emphasized the establishment of long-term solutions for the province’s power issues and pledged to investigate the failures.
“Power companies must improve their management, and if necessary, issue refunds to affected consumers,” he said.
