The Department of Energy (DOE) has lifted the suspension of the Special Auction Round for Waste-to-Energy (WTE) projects under the Green Energy Auction Program (GEAP), allowing auction activities to resume immediately under updated terms.

The DOE also raised the WTE installation target from 230 megawatts (MW) to 400 MW, one of the key revisions under the Second Supplemental Terms of Reference (TOR).

The auction had originally been set to offer 230 MW of WTE capacity before the DOE placed activities and proceedings on hold through GEA-WTE Advisory No. 2 dated June 17, 2026.

Before the suspension, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) had set the final Green Energy Auction Reserve (GEAR) price for WTE at PHP 9.2959 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), higher than its initially proposed PHP 8.0167 per kWh.

The GEAR price serves as the ceiling price, or the maximum price in PHP per kWh, that guides bidding during the auction.

The resumption follows the publication of Department Circular (DC) No. DC2026-07-0015 and the issuance of the Second Supplemental TOR, both dated July 10, 2026.

The agency said the updated policy measures are intended to encourage wider participation and accelerate investments in WTE facilities, consistent with government objectives on energy security, renewable energy development, and sustainable waste management.

Aside from the higher installation target, the DOE extended the delivery commencement period to December 31, 2029 and the mechanical completion deadline to December 31, 2028. The registration period for qualified suppliers was also extended until July 31, 2026.

The DOE also expanded eligibility requirements to allow qualified WTE developers and qualified biomass project developers to participate in the auction.

Biomass developers may participate if their projects are converted to WTE using thermal combustion technology to process municipal solid waste. The conversion must be approved by the DOE before the end of the registration period, and the project must satisfy all qualification requirements under the Second Supplemental TOR.

Developers holding a WTE Operating Contract awarded, or whose contract assignment was approved, on or before the end of the registration period may also participate in the auction.

The DOE said the revisions were developed after consultations with stakeholders, where comments and recommendations on project eligibility, registration requirements, feedstock considerations, technical requirements, and implementation timelines were reviewed and incorporated where appropriate.

Stakeholders that already submitted registration documents may resubmit updated and complete submissions before the new registration deadline.

The DOE said the most recent complete submission will be used for evaluation purposes, especially for documents reflecting the revised mechanical completion date, delivery commencement date, and work program requirements.

Interested renewable energy developers and stakeholders were encouraged to review the Second Supplemental TOR, its annexes, and the updated timeline on the DOE website.

The DOE said the revised measures are expected to facilitate wider auction participation and support the development of pioneer WTE projects that can contribute to a cleaner, more reliable, and sustainable energy future for the Philippines.

Can the revised WTE auction terms attract more developers and help turn waste management challenges into new clean energy capacity?

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