If there’s a “most punishing relationship” in town, it’s the one between consumers and their power utilities. It is a toxic romance where the bills keep climbing, but mercy never comes. This month, many consumers served by utility giant Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) were stunned by a...
LONDON, England – As governments double down on offshore wind from Europe to the Asian markets, discussions are no longer just about gigawatt installations and climate targets. They have shifted toward a harsher reality: escalating curtailments that leave turbines idle and waste billions in...
LONDON, England – A major inflection point for nuclear power development in the Philippines and Southeast Asia will be spotlighted when global industry leaders gather for the World Nuclear Supply Chain Conference in Manila on May 20–21 this year. In an exclusive interview, Dr. Sama Bilbao y...
Even as Malacañang insists no Cabinet shake-up is imminent, backroom whispers are growing louder that the administration may “recycle” 2025 midterm election losers into key posts once the appointment ban lifts this May. Just last week, industry and political circles were abuzz with rumors that...
Every new gas find is a hard-won victory for the Philippines—whether it is a fresh discovery or added production. President Marcos’s revelation that Malampaya East-1 (MAE-1) holds an estimated 98 billion cubic feet (BCF) of reserves signals that the country has struck a deeper kind of...
If there is one thing the energy sector can unanimously credit Secretary Sharon Garin for, it is grit: she cuts through bureaucracy, stands toe-to-toe with political power, mobilizes agencies, and brings stalled energy projects back into motion. Her record is written in resolved bottlenecks, such...
Electric vehicle (EV) adoption is accelerating at breakneck speed, thanks largely to number-coding exemptions. But with no strategy to remove aging fleets, Metro Manila’s traffic mess is getting worse, not greener. Ask EV buyers why they’re switching and the answer is telling: it’s not...
Last year, the Department of Energy (DOE) stamped its confidence on Malampaya with the drilling of three new wells, promising fresh gas flows from the country’s only commercial field starting this 2026. The drilling timetable had slated October–November 2025 as the completion date; yet months...
As Christmas greetings made the rounds, so did quieter whispers of an unsettling rumor: that a major mining company shareholder is allegedly being groomed to take the helm of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). This raises a troubling scenario: Is current Environment...
For what it’s worth, Ferdinand Marcos Sr.’s energy policy remains a benchmark for sustainability and reliability. Had the 620-megawatt Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) not been shelved by the Aquino administration, Filipinos would likely have enjoyed cheaper electricity rates from that...
Maharlika Investment Corp.’s (MIC) ₱19.7-billion acquisition play for a 20 percent stake in Synergy Grid and Development Philippines Inc. (SGP), the holding gateway to transmission firm National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), failed to close on the original schedule. This failure...
While Filipinos are being told to feast on crumbs for a ₱500 noche buena this Christmas, how can anyone expect us to stomach a power capacity addition that will compel consumers to pay a gut-wrenching ₱14 per kWh for offshore wind? This energy source is being served like a luxury entrée to a...
