DOE eyes additional 25 gigawatts in Green Energy Auction

MANILA — The Department of Energy (DOE) plans to auction an additional 25 gigawatts (GW) of capacity over the next 12 months, Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said.

“So far, we are already at Green Energy Auction 4, and we have already awarded 20 gigawatts,” Garin said during the Arangkada PH Forum on Friday.

“We are going to auction within the next 12 months another 25 gigawatts deliverable from 2027 to 2035,” she said.

Garin expressed confidence that the country will meet its target of a 35 percent renewable energy share in its power generation mix by 2030.

“We are very confident that we will reach that because of all the programs that we have, especially the Green Energy auction,” Garin said.

“What is Green Energy auction? We say we need this number of megawatts of solar or wind or whatever type of renewable, and then developers will submit, and once you win, once we award, it’s a 20-year fixed-rate contract for the winner,” she said.

The upcoming auctions will cover waste-to-energy and offshore wind projects, as well as solar projects involving fishponds, floating installations and agricultural land.

The DOE is also targeting a 50 percent renewable energy share by 2040 and more than 50 percent by 2050.

“Beyond supporting climate objectives, renewable energy enhances affordability over the long term, promotes the use of indigenous sources, and creates new opportunities for investments and job creation across the country,” she said.

Through its One Hour Energy Efficiency program, Garin encouraged Filipinos to turn off unused lights and unplug appliances every Saturday at 8 p.m.

“Mag-unplug ka lang, and your savings will increase. Just one hour, because the impact is hundreds of thousands of roads there. So, it’s more than just the megawatt savings, it’s the habit of conservation. It’s a habit that every Filipino should do, so it can, we can save electricity,” she said.