The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) is reaffirming the country’s renewable energy (RE) agenda as a strategic path toward reducing dependence on imported fuels and advancing energy inclusion, according to ERC Chairperson and CEO Monalisa Dimalanta.

Speaking at the Solar and Storage Live 2025 event held on 19 May at the SMX Convention Center, Dimalanta emphasized the RE agenda as “a blueprint to liberate our power system from high dependence on imported fuel” and “a covenant to energy democracy that will empower our stakeholders and consumers to make better energy decisions.”

In her keynote, Dimalanta identified three transformative shifts driving the sector: the Green Shift, Network Shift, and Source/Supply Shift. These transitions are accelerating the country’s movement toward a secure, sustainable, and affordable power system.

Dimalanta cited recent indicators of progress, including:

• A 121% increase in net-metering registrations from 2002 to 2023, signaling the rise of “prosumers” who both consume and produce electricity.

• The expansion of the Retail Competition and Open Access (RCOA) program, where contestable customers enjoyed significantly lower generation rates than those under distribution utilities.

• A nearly 90% growth in customers opting for 100% renewable energy under the Green Energy Option Program (GEOP) by the end of 2024.

She also highlighted the ongoing Green Energy Auction Program (GEAP), which has already awarded over 13 GW of renewable capacity across three rounds, with GEA-4 expected to add over 9,000 MW more.

These gains are supported by policy and regulatory reforms, including the Omnibus Rules on Consumer Choice Programs and forthcoming rules on advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), aimed at enabling broader participation and modernizing grid operations.

“This is energy democracy in action,” Dimalanta said. “Now, these transitions can only be sustained if we push forward with what we call the ‘transition enablers.’”

What are your thoughts on the ERC’s roadmap for renewable energy and its implications for market participation and power system resilience? We invite energy professionals and stakeholders to share their views on this pivotal shift in the Philippines’ energy landscape

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