DOE sets timeline for delayed fifth green energy auction
The Department of Energy (DOE) opened the application window for its delayed offshore wind auction, kickstarting a multi-gigawatt procurement process intended to accelerate the country’s transition toward clean power generation.
Under the revised timeline for the fifth round of the Green Energy Auction, known as GEA-5, prospective developers must submit their infrastructure plans for fixed-bottom offshore wind projects between May 25 and July 1.
The formal bidding process is scheduled to begin on Aug. 28, with the announcement of the winning developers slated for Sept. 24 and 25.
The energy agency plans to issue the initial certificates of award between Feb. 3 and Feb. 23, 2027, followed by secondary awards for next-ranked runners-up from June 25 to July 15, 2027.
The auction aims to secure about 3.3 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity. To guide the bidding, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) established a maximum tariff, or Green Energy Auction Reserve price, of ₱11 per kilowatt-hour for the technology. The ceiling price reflects the high upfront capital requirements, supply chain complexities, and infrastructure costs associated with developing large-scale marine energy networks in an emerging market.
Simultaneously, the energy regulator finalized the pricing framework for a separate waste-to-energy auction round, approving a price ceiling of ₱9.2959 per kilowatt-hour. The commission established the rate following a series of public consultations and a review of technical, financial, and environmental data submitted by stakeholders across the utilities and waste management sectors.
The waste-to-energy ceiling price is designed to balance the country’s push for innovative technologies with consumer price protection, according to ERC Chairperson Francis Saturnino Juan. These projects are intended to provide dependable baseload power to the grid while assisting local government units in managing urban waste accumulation. The regulator analyzed long-term capital requirements to ensure the approved rate remains fair, transparent, and reflective of efficient operational costs, Juan said.
The DOE’s Green Energy Auction Committee has set an installation target of 230 megawatts for the specialized waste-to-energy round. Winning developers in this category are expected to achieve commercial operations between September 2028 and March 2029.