Cagbalete Island in Mauban, Quezon is moving closer to full electrification as Manila Electric Company (Meralco) rolled out a microgrid system designed to deliver 24/7 power to the off-grid island community.

Meralco said the Cagbalete microgrid is intended to serve more than 1,000 households and businesses, with development set to be completed over the next three years. Once fully built out, the company said the system is expected to become the largest microgrid project in the Philippines.

The project forms part of Meralco’s broader island electrification program, which uses localized power generation to bring electricity to communities that are difficult to connect to the main grid. The company said the Cagbalete system aims to achieve 100% household-level electrification on the island.

According to Meralco, the microgrid will rely on renewable energy, with projected emissions reductions of up to 42,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide over its lifetime, which aligns electrification goals with sustainability targets.

The energization milestone was marked on December 18, with officials from the Department of Energy, Energy Regulatory Commission, the Quezon provincial government, and the local government of Mauban joining Meralco representatives during the switching-on ceremony.

Separately, Meralco’s social development arm, the One Meralco Foundation, carried out community activities alongside the energization. These included the lighting of the local chapel, distribution of holiday food packages, provision of school kits to students, and the turnover of laptops and printers to barangay offices and schools.

As microgrid projects continue to roll out in island communities, how effectively can localized power systems close remaining electrification gaps while supporting cleaner energy development?

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