Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has given the green light to the inter-island connection project between Palawan and Mindoro Islands. This potential project is seen as a pivotal move towards bolstering the capacity of the national grid.
To increase Palawan’s power supply by linking it to the main Luzon power grid, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines suggested the interconnection project by utilizing submarine cables.
Due to delays in providing Universal Charge Missionary Electrification subsidies from National Power Corporation to power plants operating in both Mindoro and Palawan, there have been frequent power outages in both islands. This situation stresses the pressing need for infrastructure enhancements to ensure reliable power distribution.
With 125 standalone islands being served by small power utility groups, Marcos Jr. also encouraged the development of renewable energy sources, expanding beyond solar energy to include other green technologies.
According to palace press briefer Daphne Oseña-Paez, the president gave orders for all renewable energy sources to assist the development of rural enterprises, in addition to providing electricity for homes.
These underscored pledges form part of the government’s effort to support Marcos Jr.’s goal of achieving nationwide100% electrification, as discussed in his second State of the Nation Address.
The country has the highest electricity bills in Southeast Asia, and the high cost of electricity has driven the development of renewable energy. According to the Philippine Energy Plan, the country aims to achieve a renewable energy installed capacity of at least 20 GW by 2040.
Since 2001, the Philippines has initiated the liberalization of the power generation market, and in 2008, the Renewable Energy Act was introduced, accelerating the growth of the industry and leading to the maturation of related regulations.
