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The “Philippine Power Outlook: Reviewing the Adequacy of Power Supply for April to June 2024” report examines power supply projections in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao in the second quarter of 2024. It does so based on the power demand and supply outlook presented by the Department of Energy (DOE). It also delves into the impacts of the El Niño weather phenomenon to the country’s hydropower capacity.

The 19th Asia Clean Energy Forum (ACEF) 2024, held from June 3-7 at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Headquarters in Manila, gathered more than 1,200 clean energy practitioners from 71 countries under the theme “Accelerating the Clean Energy Transition and Ensuring Energy Security and Affordability – Time for Urgent Action Now.”

ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa opened the Forum by highlighting ADB's commitment to mobilizing $100 billion of financing for climate initiatives over the next decade. Keynote speakers reinforced the need for immediate climate action and shift to clean energy.

The forum featured 50 sessions, including 16 Thematic Track Sessions that discussed important aspects of the energy transition, particularly how we can triple renewable energy capacity and double progress in energy efficiency by 2030.

• Sessions in Thematic Track 1 (Renewable Energy) covered strategies for prioritizing renewable energy and accelerating investments to achieve this goal.

• Sessions in Track 2 (Energy Efficiency) outlined strategies to double progress on energy efficiency, focusing on regulations, incentives, and comprehensive policy packages to drive market transformation.

• Sessions in Track 3 (Electricity Transmission and Distribution) highlighted the need for significant investments in grid infrastructure to integrate renewable energy, emphasizing the importance of governance frameworks and financial planning.

• And finally, sessions in Track 4 (Hard to Abate Sectors) explored a range of innovative clean energy solutions, including green hydrogen; carbon, capture, utilization and storage (CCUS); and advanced digital solutions for industrial decarbonization. Speakers stressed the need for improved policy frameworks and effective financing mechanisms.

ACEF 2024 also featured Regional Sessions covering clean energy initiatives across the subregions of Asia and the Pacific. A significant area of focus was the role and importance of cross-border electricity trade to enhance regional energy security. Meanwhile, Spotlight Sessions covered emerging topics such as comprehensive energy planning, clean energy integration, and the role of women in bridging the clean energy financing gap.

The forum concluded with speeches and panel discussions on how we can achieve a clean energy transition that leaves no one behind.

As with previous ACEFs, this year’s event successfully fostered an environment for clean energy stakeholders to connect and share knowledge, innovative approaches, and financing solutions. The outcomes shared and the commitments made at ACEF set a strong foundation for achieving a just and inclusive energy transition for Asia and the Pacific.

For more details and insights from ACEF 2024, you can access the video recordings by visiting the session pages: https://asiacleanenergyforum.adb.org/agenda/full-agenda-2024/

In 2023, REI Philippines conducted a situational analysis of the ecological and social impacts that may emerge with the scaling of renewable energy. This culminated in the first report, exploring: 

1. How these impacts are currently governed 

2. How market actors respond to these impacts, and, 

3. How the Initiative might effectively contribute towards creating a renewable energy system that is more socially just and ecologically sound. 

This publication reports on the effects of preferential dispatch of all existing geothermal, biomass, and impounding hydroelectric power plants, in strengthening the Philippine's energy self-sufficiency. Findings show that preferential dispatch for all renewable energy (RE) will increase the use of indigenous RE resources, diversify the energy mix, and reduce market clearing prices in the spot market.

The Preferential Dispatch report serves as evidence to the Department Circular No. DC2022-10-0031 of the Philippine Department of Energy. The report is authored by the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC)

This work compiles and analyzes energy data from various institutions of the Philippine energy sector and other research findings to determine the reliability and viability of coal and variable renewable energy (vRE) sources in from year to year. 

The findings show that the Philippines no longer needs additional baseload coal, a power source that has proved to be unreliable in overcapacity and incompatible with the country’s power system.Additional flexibility in the baseload can be provided by using variable renewable energy sources, which are highly available, predictable, and can be maximized with the appropriate system design and policies. 

The TARGET report is authored and published by the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC), led by the team of Jephraim Manansala and Marion Lois Tan. 

‘Baseload’ is a characteristic of power demand, not of a specific supply technology. The demand for baseload electricity can actually be met by any combination of generation sources, including variable renewable energy.

This publication is a policy brief about the energy sector planning in the Philippines.