Marcos Jr's Energy Plan Remains Silent on Electricity Rate Cuts

Wazzup Pilipinas!?




Kuryente.Org commended the Department of Energy (DoE) for publicizing its proposed road map for the country’s energy and electricity plan under the Marcos administration, but also scolded the agency for failing to present plans for electricity price reduction.

The DoE launched its Luzon-wide public consultation on its proposed Philippine Energy Plan (PEP) for 2023 – 2050 last August 30, 2023. The roadmap provides the guide and framework for the current government’s policies and programs to achieve its goal of energy sufficiency, reliability and affordability to boost its economic goals.

“The presentation provides a robust and vibrant economic projection and assumptions to ensure the country’s energy and power security for the next decades. True to the marching orders of the President during its second State of the Nation Address, the PEP also include its projection for renewable energy and nuclear energy development from which DOE projected by the end of current administration’s term the country will be enjoying 96MW of energy,” said Roland Vibal, national coordinator for Kuryente.org

However, the group is not satisfied with the proposed PEP as it failed to present a clear projection of how the current and projected efforts in energy supply will lead to lower electricity rates which ironically remains at the second highest after Singapore in the ASEAN region.

“We welcome the current DoE’s effort to ensure energy sufficiency and clean energy source, but this is not enough if such efforts do not redound to lower electricity prices,” Vibal added

“The roadmap is incomplete as it fails to provide electricity consumers, particularly household electricity consumers, with electricity price reduction in coming years. The PEP failed to lay down policies and programs to make the country’s electricity affordable to all. Assuring the public of energy and electricity security is not enough. It must also assure the public of lower electricity price,” Vibal said.

The group ended by reminding the DOE that its Electricity Power Roadmap must be aligned with the goals of Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) to lower the country's electricity rate which two decades after remains just an aspiration.