Government ‘very confident’ of meeting renewable energy targets

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October 10, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — The government remains bullish on meeting its renewable energy (RE) targets, banking on more competitive auctions to drive the rollout of clean power projects.

“Our target is to reach 35 percent by 2030. We are very confident that we will reach that (target) because of all the programs that we have,” Energy Secretary Sharon Garin told a forum hosted by the Joint Foreign Chambers of the Philippines yesterday.

A key driver of this push is the planned launch of more green energy auction (GEA) rounds, which the Department of Energy (DOE) expects to spur investments in the RE sector.

Over the next 12 months, the DOE plans to auction off 25 gigawatts (GW) of RE capacity for delivery between 2027 and 2035, Garin said.

The upcoming auctions will cover a wider range of technologies, including solar installations on stilts, agri-solar systems, canal-top solar projects, biomass and geothermal.

The DOE is also looking to tap more opportunities in onshore wind, floating solar, rooftop solar and solar projects integrated with battery energy storage systems.

“Why do we have so many of these new developments? Because our policies are catching up with the new technology,” Garin said.

The government has awarded roughly 20 GW of RE capacity through the first four GEA rounds, with most committed projects already operational.

Some projects, however, were caught up in the DOE’s sweeping crackdown on non-performing contracts.

Still, the energy chief sees positive momentum in the sector.

This year alone, simultaneous bidding rounds are underway, including a special auction for waste-to-energy facilities and GEA-5 for fixed-bottom offshore wind projects.

Currently, renewables account for only around 25 percent of the country’s energy mix, while coal power generation remains the dominant source of electricity. Natural gas contributes about 14 percent.

According to a report by global climate research group Zero Carbon Analytics, the Philippines has introduced more energy policies than any other country in Southeast Asia since the war in the Middle East began.

The report, which also covered Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam, found that the Philippines adopted 22 policies — 13 on RE and nine on fossil fuels — between February and August.

“Energy resiliency remains a priority,” Garin emphasized. “Resiliency is ultimately about protecting lives, safeguarding economic activity and ensuring that energy remains available when our people need it most.”