The Department of Energy (DOE) expects natural gas power plants operated by Excellent Energy Resources Inc. (EERI) and South Premiere Power Corp. (SPPC) to deliver 2,500 megawatts (MW) of capacity starting May 15, boosting the country’s energy security.
“We are very happy that the tank one of EERI and SPPC has been successfully installed and we were told that by the middle of May, instead of the 1,350 MW we have from those two plants now, we will reach 2,500 MW so we’ll be fine this summer,” DOE Undersecretary Rowena Guevara said at the Asia CEO Forum on Renewable Energy 2025, sponsored by Citicore Renewable Energy Corp. and Megawide Construction Corp.
“We are just hoping that other plants will not have outages, and that was the reason why we have to delay the plant shutdown of EERI and SPPC was because Sual went down two weeks ago,” she said.
SPPC is delivering 1,350 MW, while EERI remains offline due to technical issues with its 500 kV gas-insulated switchgear (GIS), delaying its return to service.
Both facilities are jointly owned by Meralco PowerGen Corp., San Miguel Global Power Holdings Corp. and Aboitiz Power Corp.
Guevara said the DOE is also monitoring the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration’s heat index.
Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla, speaking at the same forum, cited the need for diversified energy sources amid a complex global geopolitical situation.
“To respond, we need to diversify our energy sources. That’s a big reason why we’re pushing renewable energy,” Lotilla said.
“It will help secure our energy supply long-term, and it aligns with our goals for sustainable, affordable, and accessible energy,” he said.
Lotilla said the Philippines needs a diversified energy mix, as renewables alone “can’t provide the constant power we need.” Alena Mae S. Flores
“We also need to use our other resources, including fossil fuels. We need to see these as working together. That’s why the government’s program to develop natural gas and petroleum is so important. For a while, we’ll need natural gas to balance out the ups and downs of renewable energy, especially solar and wind. So, the push to explore more natural gas sources goes hand-in-hand with our renewable energy goals,” he said.
Lotilla called on the private sector to share responsibility for progress in the energy sector.
“It’s not fair to put it all on the government. If the private sector is a full partner, it needs to take full responsibility,” he said.
He said the Philippines is considered a prime investment destination for renewable energy, but urged faster implementation of policies.
“Our policies are a big reason for this high rating, but unfortunately, some things haven’t happened as quickly as they should have. For example, the Renewable Energy Act of 2008 opened geothermal to 100 percent foreign investment, but it took until 2021 to actually implement that policy. That’s a 13-year gap. We’re not ignoring these issues. This administration is focused on building the right policy framework so the private sector can invest,” he said.