Diversification, grid upgrade key to solving energy crisis

AGAINST the backdrop of a newly declared national energy emergency, The Manila Times Energy Forum 2026 convened on Thursday, bringing together representatives from the Department of Energy (DOE), the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) and Meralco PowerGen Corp. (MGen) for the morning session. Representatives from the National Power Corp. (Napocor), National Transmission Corp. and Aboitiz Power joined the afternoon session. With the theme “Addressing current energy challenges, building a secure and sustainable energy future,” the forum evolved into a “war room” of ideas as the country grappled with the escalating fallout from the Middle East conflict. Moderated by TMT columnist Ben Kritz, the panel reached a sobering consensus: the Philippines’ “umbilical cord” to Middle East energy supplies is no longer a manageable risk but a national security vulnerability. Participants emphasized that long-term resilience lies in developing indigenous energy sources and strengthening the grid infrastructure. They also underscored the need to move beyond temporary fuel subsidies toward localized energy solutions as well as environmental protection protocols. Napocor Chief Executive Officer Jericho Jonas Nograles warned local government units that he has the cooperation of the military to protect critical watersheds and that one of Napocor’s goals it for barangay to be able to “sustain themselves via solar and wind,” effectively insulating them from tremors in the global market. With diesel prices breaching the P100-per-liter mark and the peso weakening past 60 against the United States dollar, discussions shifted from long-term planning to immediate resilience. The focus expanded from fossil fuels to renewable energy and low-emission alternatives such as liquefied natural gas (LNG). The timing of the forum was critical. Just 48 hours earlier, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed Executive Order (EO) 110, placing the country under a state of national energy emergency for one year. MGen President and Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel Rubio, and Aboitiz Renewables President and Chief Executive Officer David Mikel Aboitiz outlined how the private sector is accelerating off-grid power solutions, including large-scale solar farms. The original roster of speakers, which included DOE Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella and ERC Chairman Francis Saturnino Juan, was changed at the last minute after they were called to attend a Senate hearing on EO 110. They were replaced by DOE Director Michael Sinocruz and ERC Executive Director Nancy Aurora Fajardo. Sinocruz discussed the administration’s push toward renewable energy while maintaining output from diesel and coal-fired power plants to stabilize prices, as global LNG and oil shipments face disruptions at the Strait of Hormuz. He also spoke of a diversified sourcing of energy which includes the potential adoption of small modular reactors. During the morning fireside chat, Kritz raised the issue of balancing solar energy generation and distribution. Rubio said MGen’s Battery Energy Storage Systems help address the “duck curve” by storing excess solar power and releasing it when demand rises. Meanwhile, National Transmission Corp. President Fortunato Leynes emphasized that “there is no transition without transmission,” stressing the need to accelerate grid expansion and improve infrastructure to support renewable energy integration. Aboitiz also pointed out that grid constraints, permitting delays and land acquisition issues rather than design, funding or construction, remain the primary bottlenecks in scaling up renewable energy projects. Transforming challenges In her opening remarks, The Manila Times CEO Anna Marie Ang-Thompson said that the news organization documents developments in the energy sector in real time. “We see the volatility of power costs, the strain on our aging grids and the rising public demand for sustainability. We are here today to do more than just report on these realities. We are here because we recognize that, as leaders, we hold the collective power to transform these challenges into a definitive turning point for our country,” she said. Times President and COO Blanca Mercado cited EO 110, signed on Tuesday, that authorizes the unified package for livelihoods, industries, food and transportation — with Malacañang declaring that energy security is a national priority.

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