President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. promises to achieve total electrification by the end of his term.
“Alongside power generation, we are also as relentless in pursuing total electrification,” Marcos Jr. assured during his State Of the Nation Address (SONA) yesterday.
“Since my assumption into office, almost half a million homes have been given access to electricity. We will spare no effort to achieve full household electrification by the end of my term. 100% is within our reach.” Marcos Jr. said.
In addition to this promise, the chief of state shared the government’s current and prospective projects for the energy sector. Among them is the Unified National Grid which will interconnect grids of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
“The “One Grid, One Market” will enable more efficient transfers and more competitive pricing of electricity throughout the country,” he added.
However, Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) data said that 68 grid connections were facing delays. Marcos Jr. noted that the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) is currently undergoing a performance review, and he encouraged them to prioritize the completion of crucial projects like the Mindanao-Visayas (MVIP) and Cebu-Negros-Panay interconnection projects.
Responding to the President’s SONA, NGCP pledged to accelerate ongoing transmission projects and expedite others in the pipeline to align with the country’s energy plan. NGCP’s President and CEO, Anthony Almeda, reiterated the corporation’s dedication to fulfilling the vision set forth by the president.
Among the corporation’s priorities were the completion of the MVIP and Stage 3 of the Cebu-Negros-Panay Interconnection Project (CNP). The grid operator said that the MVIP is on track to be fully energized to 450 megawatts (MW) by the third quarter of this year.
In addition to the Unified National Grid, Marcos also boasted 8 new additional power plants which brought the total number of power generation facilities to 17, increasing energy production by 1,174 MW.
Marcos Jr. also mentioned the aggressive promotion of renewable energy to achieve the Philippine Energy Plan of 35% share by 2030 and 50% by 2040. In line with this, the country opened RE projects to foreign investors.
“Since last year, an additional 126 renewable energy contracts with a potential capacity of 31,000 megawatts have been awarded,” Marcos Jr. said.
He added that the country currently has over a thousand active projects: 187 for wind, 299 for solar, 436 for hydroelectric, 36 for geothermal, 58 for biomass, and 9 for ocean-powered.
Marcos Jr. also recognized the contributions of the Malampaya gas field, adding that renewal of the contract ensured extended energy production for 15 more years.
Apart from Malampaya, Marcos Jr. said that the government will push for more gas exploration in other parts of the country.
He also acknowledged the government’s partnership with the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) in terms of energy exploration, development, and utilization in its territorial jurisdiction. He expressed expectations for renewed investor interest in the region.
Screenshot from RTVM