As the Philippines rapidly expands its solar energy pipeline, policymakers should start addressing the next generation of regulatory challenges now—from battery storage and land use to solar panel recycling—before they become barriers to the country’s clean energy transition, according to legal experts from ClientEarth.

The recommendation comes as the Department of Energy (DOE) continues to accelerate renewable energy deployment through successive Green Energy Auction Program (GEAP) rounds and pursues its target of increasing renewable energy’s share in the power generation mix to 35% by 2030 and 50% by 2040. 

Solar has dominated the government’s GEAP, accounting for more than half of the capacity awarded during both the first and second auction rounds. In GEA-1, solar projects secured 1,490.38 megawatts (MW) of the 1,866.13 MW awarded, while GEA-2 awarded 1,978.37 MW to ground-mounted, floating and rooftop solar projects out of a total 3,440.76 MW.

While much of the policy focus has centered on attracting investments and speeding up project development, ClientEarth said legal frameworks must also evolve to support the long-term sustainability of the sector.

“One of the most common legal gaps is that renewable energy laws are often designed to accelerate deployment, but not necessarily to govern what happens as solar markets mature,” said Atty. Smile Yu, Lawyer for Resources, Energy & Mobility (Japan & Southeast Asia) at ClientEarth.

Yu pointed to experiences across Southeast Asia, where governments have had to adapt regulations after large-scale solar deployment exposed new challenges.

“Malaysia’s increasing focus on agrivoltaics and land-use planning, for example, reflects how legal and policy frameworks have had to evolve to better manage competing land uses as utility-scale solar expands,” she said.

She added that countries have also had to develop rules covering energy storage integration and the end-of-life management and recycling of solar panels—issues that were often overlooked during the early stages of renewable energy expansion.

“These issues are easier to address when they are built into the legal framework from the outset rather than introduced after large-scale deployment has begun,” Yu said.

“A comprehensive legal framework should therefore not only facilitate investment but also provide clear rules on land use, environmental safeguards, grid integration, energy storage, and end-of-life management to ensure that solar development remains both bankable and sustainable.”

For the Philippines, Yu said the country’s relatively earlier stage of large-scale solar deployment presents an opportunity to avoid many of the regulatory challenges encountered elsewhere in the region.

“The Philippines has the advantage of learning from countries that expanded solar earlier,” she said.

Rather than waiting for issues to emerge, she said safeguards should be embedded early by coordinating renewable energy planning with land-use policies, environmental regulation, and transmission development. 

She also called for clear permitting processes, transparent grid connection rules, regulatory frameworks for energy storage, and continued investment in transmission infrastructure.

“As deployment accelerates, regulators should anticipate issues such as the siting of projects on agricultural or environmentally sensitive land and the end-of-life management of solar equipment, rather than addressing them only after they begin to affect project implementation,” Yu said.

According to the DOE, the Philippines has significantly expanded its renewable energy project pipeline in recent years through competitive auctions and investment reforms, with solar accounting for a substantial share of awarded capacities. 

Industry observers have also identified battery energy storage systems and transmission expansion as critical enablers of the country’s next phase of renewable energy growth.

Yu said putting long-term safeguards in place now would reduce regulatory uncertainty while supporting both investment and sustainability objectives.

“Building these safeguards early can reduce regulatory uncertainty, strengthen investor confidence, and support a transition that is both bankable and sustainable.”

What do you think? As the Philippines accelerates solar deployment, should regulators begin crafting rules for panel recycling, energy storage, and land use now, or should those issues be addressed as the market evolves?

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